Unknown Innocence
by Hanashi o suru
Summary: Unknown to her, Yume Hanazawa was born with a mysterious form of Innocence within her right arm. After an Akuma attack on her home, she runs away and later ends up on the doorstep of the Black Order. Many adventures await for her as she learns little by little of what it takes to be an Exorcist, and of the secret of her unknown Innocence.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Journey

**Me: **_**SO! **_**This isn't the first fanfic I've written, HOWEVER this is the first one I've done for D. Gray-man, and for this site! So...**

**Yume: Um, Hanashi-san.**

**Me: Yume?**

**Yume: You should probably put a disclaimer on...y'know, so they know?**

**Me: That's a great idea! You're the main character, have fun!**

**Yume: But I...! Uh...-clears throat- So...as you're probably aware, Hanashi-san doesn't own D. Gray-man, or any of the characters who were originally apart of the series. Of all things to take credit for, she takes credit for me, Yume Hanazawa!**

**Me: Please! Enjoy the story!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Journey<em>

Scared, and frightened, I didn't want anything to do with them. I had to get back home…my brother…he's waiting for me, damn it!

"Don't let her get away!" One of the men chasing me exclaims, "She has Innocence! We must get it!"

"We mustn't fail our mission!" So says another one.

"Master will be displeased if she gets away…she could have the Heart!" What was going on? How did this happen? I was scared. Why were all these people chasing me? Worse still, there were also these strange creatures that some of those men turned into. What were they? What was Innocence? So many questions were piling up, drowning me.

"*Watashi o tasukete!" I screamed, the terror clear in my voice, "Nii-san! Nii-san!" I was shouting. Why wasn't my brother there to save me? "Nii-san!" Tears kept falling from my eyes. Before I knew it, I'd tripped over something, and pain ripped through my leg. Damn…I must've twisted my ankle pretty bad. But there wasn't any time for this! I had to continue on, and to do so, I started limping as I tried to get away. "*Atchi e ike!" I cried.

"We got you now." Says the first man. His eyes were glowing, and so were the other two. Strange creatures were floating in the sky. The two men on either side of the one holding me change into something like the things in the sky. But they're appearance are different, more evolved. My eyes wide, I found myself praying to what ever god there is.

"We're not going to hurt you." The one holding me coos. He seemed like a normal human…but why was his skin such a color? A dark gray color…he dressed nicely, but all my primal instincts were saying he wasn't a person. "We simply want to take your Innocence." Sadly, I couldn't understand what was being said, at the time but the way his tone sounded almost like…no I wouldn't allow it! Using my good foot, I stamped on the man's foot. He howls in pain, releasing me, and despite the pain still in my left ankle, I ran. I knew this area well. There was a cliff not far from here. When I would get there, I would plummet into the raging waters below.

When I came to, my dark eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. I was cold, wet, and as it turned out, wasn't sure where the hell I was. I move my ankle slightly and I felt pain beyond pain surging through my leg. I figured it must be broken. Where was I exactly? I sure as hell knew for a fact I couldn't possibly be in Japan anymore. Nothing looked familiar to me, the young Japanese girl.

Shock quickly engulfed me as I checked my pockets for any sign of something important. When I finally found it, I sighed with relief. "*Zen o arigatō! Sore wa wanpīsu de wa madadesu." From the inside pocket of my kimono, I'd pulled out a small golden item. It was a family heirloom, given to me by my brother when I was three. It was passed down the generations from father to daughter. Mother to son…and so forth. Why such a pattern, I didn't really know. But I was thankful my brother gave this to me instead of his daughter when he had children of his own. This precious treasure of mine still being in tact. I quickly placed it back into my hidden pocket, and managed to find a large stick I could use as a crutch.

I must've traveled for days, hardly resting. The only form of strength was from my brother's treasure. It gave me strength to go on. I found that I've wandered aimlessly, wishing for a place for which I could stay. By now my ankle had swollen in size, and although I pretty much knew next to nothing on medicine, I did know that there was a high chance my ankle was now infected. But then again, that sickness was a surefire sign of such a guess. "*Īe, watashi wa tomeru koto wa dekinai…" I muttered, the exhaustion getting to me, "Watashi wa baai, watashi wa...korosa reru yo…" However, with that breath, I collapsed, not far off from where a dark, and almost ancient building proudly stood.

"Hmm…looks like she had it rough." A voice I'm unfamiliar with sighs. "What do you think, Lenalee?"

"I don't blame you. It looks like she's barely survived a war. Who brought her in?" The other voice, belonging to this "Lenalee" replies.

"I don't know. She was here when I clocked in." By then I'd opened my eyes to see two women before me. One was older, and seemed strict when it came to her job…she wore a white uniform, making me assume she was a nurse. There was a girl beside her who had dark shoulder-length hair. Her eyes were just as dark, but also seemed bright and cheerful. She wore a uniform herself, but it was black. The jacket she wore had red trimmings on it. The trimmings went around the top of the turtle neck, and down the center where it reached the bottom, moving around the base of the jacket. There was also a design that was right under a crest that, which I later learned was called the Rose Cross. She also sported a red mini-skirt.

"*E eto...anata wa daredesu ka?" Crap…my voice was weak! "Anata wa nihongo o hanasemasu ka?"

"Oh dear…seems she's speaking Japanese…Lenalee, can you get Kanda? Maybe he can help us out." I watched as the one named Lenalee searches for this other person named "Kanda". A couple of hours later she returns with a man with long dark hair, and a scowl that probably suggested he was in the middle of something. I noted that he had the same jacket that she wore, though the rest of the uniform was different. His seemed more like a trench coat, reaching his calves, and I was able to see the boots he wore, suggesting that his pant legs were tucked in them.

"What is it you need me for?" He asked, angered. "I was busy."

"We're sorry for bothering you, Kanda," Lenalee says apologetically, "But this girl only speaks Japanese. You being from Japan as well, perhaps you could help us speak with her? Please?" Kanda looked at Lenalee, the nurse, then to the pathetic girl laying in the cot. He took a deep breath, and agreed…against his better judgment. The two women left, leaving Kanda with me before him.

"*Anata wa daredesu ka?" He asked me. I eagerly answered him, happy there was someone who spoke the same language as me.

"*Watashi wa Hanazawa Yume." I told him. Every question he asked me, I was able to answer. I really felt relieved there was one person I could actually speak with. It made me happy. I didn't realize that I was still clutching something in my hand, until I was asked about it. Hesitant, I clutched it tighter, not knowing if I should tell him about this. After much thought, I gave it to him.

Kanda looked at small golden charm. There was no way it was of Japanese heritage, even I knew that, but it was very old. The golden pendent was shaped like some sort of animal. But the thing was so beat up now, he (nor I at that matter) couldn't tell what it had once been. It shined dimly in the clinic room, but when he was done, he put back into my hands.

Soon after the nurse and Lenalee had come back to the infirmary, Kanda told them what I told him. Word for word.

"I could tell she's had it rough," Lenalee was saying, "but to get attacked by Akuma? And to think, our Generals search the world for Accommodators, and one literally stumbles on our own doorstep…the poor thing." She said, hugging herself.

"Che. My question is how the hell she got from Japan all the way here." Kanda retorts. "Not even that damnable short stack would've made it that far with injuries like hers."

"For now, we should have her rest." The nurse tells them. "We'll need to teach her how to speak English as well…otherwise we'll be lost in translation. We can't have Kanda translating everything she's saying."

"Like hell I would. This was a one time deal." He told them, turning on his heel, and leaving the facility.

"Deep down, I'm sure he cares." Lenalee giggled. "He just doesn't like to show it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: What's being said? Well let's see!**

***Watashi o tasukete! = Help me!**

***Atchi e ike! = Go away!**

*** Zen o arigatō! Sore wa wanpīsu de wa madadesu. = Thank goodness! It's still in one piece.**

*** Īe, watashi wa tomeru koto wa dekinai… Watashi wa baai, watashi wa...korosa reru yo… = No, I can't stop…I'll be…killed if I do…**

*** E eto...anata wa daredesu ka? Anata wa nihongo o hanasemasu ka? = Um…who are you? Can you speak Japanese? **

*** Anata wa daredesu ka? = Who are you?**

*** Watashi wa Hanazawa Yume. = I am Yume Hanazawa.**


	2. Chapter 2: Innocence

_Chapter 2: Innocence_

It was a long and grueling seven months for the young Japanese girl. On top of needing all that time for my ankle to heal, I was expected to learn to speak, read, and above all else, comprehend this new language. Most of my time was always spent in that clinic. But I guess was thankful for seeing Lenalee on her visits. And it was thanks to her, that my English was improving.

"Hey there, Yume." Lenalee said to me one day, "I've got good news."

"Good news?" I asked, curious to what she has to say, though already getting the feeling I knew what it was.

"I spoke with the head nurse and she says you'll be up and at 'em in no time! She says probably by next week."

"Next week? I've spent months in this place, and all I've seen is this room! Please, I want to see the rest of this place! Please, please, please?"

"Next week, Yume." Lenalee promised. "I'll personally give you the tour of this place. As soon as you get the O-K from the head nurse."

"Fine." I pouted. God, I hated being stuck in this room. Every now and then I would bear witness to others coming and going. Some of wounded ranged from the minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises to things more dangerous like a loss of blood, or in one case, a missing limb. I shuttered at the memory.

/*/*|*\*\

"Alright Miss Hanazawa." The head nurse said, looking at my charts. "You're fever's gone, the ankle made a remarkable recovery, I'd say you're just about ready to see the rest of this facility.

"Thank you so much, ma'am." I said, bowing. Upon leaving the infirmary, I ended up bumping into someone. I bowed quickly, apologizing for bumping into who ever I'd bumped into, and ran in the other direction. There were too many turns in this place…and let's just put it at this: saying I was lost…would be the biggest understatement of the year!

"Crap…" I said, looking left and right, "I'm totally lost now, aren't I?" My stomach gurgled, and I put a hand over it. I knew I had smelled food a while ago, but this place was so freaking huge!

"Hey, aren't you that girl who bumped into me earlier?" Shocked, I looked up to see someone who didn't look much older than I was…perhaps a three year difference? Wait, then what was with his hair? Was that its natural color, or was it dyed? And what was with that scar on his face? It had an upside-down pentacle above his left eye, and it seemed to go down his cheek, stopping just above his chin. I saw his clothes were the similar to Kanda's and Lenalee's.

"You're the one…I bumped into?" I asked, staring at him further. On top of strange snow-white hair, and the scar, one other thing I noticed were his eyes. They were gray, and matched his hair nicely…the way they looked at me, somehow made me think of someone else who had the same kind of eyes…ones that have seen hardship, but try to hide the negative things. I guess I might've gotten lost in them for a little while, because the boy interrupted what thoughts I was going through.

"Hmm…I don't think I've seen you here before…" He says, "Oh! You're Yume Hanazawa, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah. That's the name I was given at birth." I said, staring at the boy in front of me. "But who are you?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm Allen Walker. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand, and we shook in greeting. "I heard you were in infirmary. I meant to stop by and introduce myself, but I was kind of busy with my missions. Sorry about that."

"No need to worry, Allen." I chuckled. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, but could you escort me to the cafeteria? I'm so hungry it feels like my stomach will start to devour itself!" I complained. Allen laughed, at my remark.

"I was on my way there. Come on, we can go together, okay?" Allen told me. I smiled a thank you, and followed him like the lost pup I was. Allen was by far one of the nicest people I'd ever met.

"Allen, for the seven months I've been in that infirmary, I've seen two different kinds of uniforms. Ones like yours, and then I saw some that were light tan…and I guess almost white, maybe."

"The people who have these light tan uniforms are called Finders." Allen answered. "They're job is to explore areas where unnatural phenomena where something called Innocence might have a role in."

"I've heard of Innocence before…but what is it, Allen?"

"It's…let's see, how do I put this? Innocence is this strange thing that's always evolving…and they're the main cause in abnormal activities…such as keeping a man alive for well over a thousand years…keeping a doll animated for five-hundred years…constantly changing the weather…or even causing the same date to repeat itself for weeks on end…and so forth." Wait, were these experiences he himself encountered? All that seemed pretty farfetched. "Innocence also seems to have a mind of its own. It chooses its Accommodator, which brings us to the ones dressed in black. We're called Exorcists."

"Exorcists? You mean like people who get rid of evil spirits, right?"

"No. We don't do that. The job of an Exorcist is to find other fragments of Innocence, and bring them back here, to the Black Order. They are looked after until an Accommodator comes along and then that Innocence is used to create a special weapon for fighting akuma."

"Akuma?" I inquired, "I'm guessing the akuma I'm thinking of, isn't the same as what you're referring to then."

"Right. Akuma are machines. Within them resides a soul that fuels it. That soul within it, has no control over any of its actions, and is forced to watch in agony as they're actions kill more and more people."

"How would you know that?" I inquired. "You going to say you can actually see those souls or something?"

"Actually, yes. I can." Allen said, a smirk on his face, but sadness in his eyes. I decided that I would drop that subject, seeing it seemed to make him upset. Allen Walker, what had happened to you?

/*/*|*\*\

"So much food!" I exclaimed, seeing Allen virtually inhaling what was in front of him. Where does he put it all? No one else in the room seemed surprised by Allen's eating habits. So I guess it was something to get used to.

"This?" Allen asked, confused, "This is just a snack."

"How much do you eat?" I asked him sarcastically. Allen only shrugged, before scoffing down his umpteenth bowl of ramen. "And yet you're not fat."

"I'm a parasitic type." Allen explained to me. "We use up a lot of energy, so we eat more than the average person would."

"Y-you don't say." I said. I stared down at my food, suddenly feeling not as hungry as I was before.

"There you are!" I heard the familiar voice of Lenalee call out. "Oh, I see you've met Allen."

"Yeah. Is there something you need, Lenalee?"

"Yes, I need to take you to Hevlaska, so that we can see if you really are an Accommodator for Innocence."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing to be afraid of, Yume." Allen reassured me. "I'll tag along for support, okay?"

"Thanks." I smiled.

/*/*|*\*\

"Oh, so this is Yume Hanazawa? Nice to meet you, I'm Komui Lee." I was introduced to a man who wore a white lab coat, and a beret on his head. I realized he, like Lenalee were Chinese. "I'm head of the science department here at the Order."

"Don't scare her, brother." Lenalee sighed. "This is my brother. He can be a handful, but he's a good person when you get to know him. He's only nearly destroyed a few things five times or so now." That didn't make me feel any better.

"So," Komui said, clearing his throat, "she might be an Accommodator?"

"Yes." Lenalee said without hesitation. "Yume, if you don't mind, but would you please remove your jacket?" My faced flushed scarlet and I held the jacket close. I shook my head no. "If you do, we'll get you anything you want. Okay?"

I gulped, and reluctantly, removed the jacket I was wearing. My chest was bandaged, but despite that, it still felt as though people were looking right through them. If it were possible, I probably had more red in my face than what a tomato could only dream of having…assuming that made sense.

"What happened to your arm?" Komui asked, staring at my bandaged limb. I didn't actually want to answer that. I just instinctively grasped my strange arm, shamefully looking down to the floor. It honestly wasn't injured. It was just strange. I had my arm bandaged so that I could hide what it was I was born with.

"It's…not normal." I whimpered. Allen seemed to have understood why I was feeling this way.

"Let me try something," Allen offered. Without so much as hesitating, he undid the buttons on his jacket, removing it, and then started to remove the shirt he wore under it. I stared at him, before my eyes rested on his left his fingers to about halfway passed his elbow was black. Above that there were matching stripes that seemed encircle his arm until it got to where the shoulder and arm connected. Around the base of his shoulder were markings which seemed to resemble odd-looking arrows. It was black, but it looked almost like how the tattoo-like thing was on my arm…just much different. "This was how I was born. Innocence imbedded in my left arm. Your Innocence, according to what I've heard, is also embedded within you. We would like to see for ourselves, okay?" I continued staring at Allen's arm…he was the same as me? I looked to Lenalee and Komui, who gave me an encouraging nod. I started to undo the bandages around my right arm. My arm wasn't really that abnormal, but I only bandaged it to cover the markings that were on it. On the back of my hand was this strange cross, although it was pretty similar to Allen's, mine was this strange crystal that I had actually been a part of my hand for as long as I was able to remember.

"She might be parasitic." Komui observed, "Though it seems to me, this Innocence has never once been activated." By then Allen had put his shirt and coat back on, hiding his arm from the world once more.

"We should take her to Hevlaska." Lenalee said, replacing the jacket over my shoulders. Komui led the way as we traveled to the lower levels of the Order.

"Who's Hevlaska?" I asked.

"An exorcist. She's worked for the order for a hundred years now." Komui shrugged, as if it were nothing interesting. We were now on this strange elevator that didn't really seem to be connected to anything though…this place kept amusing me by the minute. My awe turned into terror as I was suddenly lifted up from the platform.

"Do not fear me, young one." The being before me said, "I am not you're enemy." I started feeling a probing sensation going throughout my body. But I didn't squirm…or at least I tried not to. The large white being put her forehead(?) to mine, and started counting up. "1%…5%…10%…you're synchro-rate is at 15%."

"Only fifteen?" Komui seemed interested for some reason. His glasses seemed to glisten despite the darkness that surrounded us. I was placed down on the platform, looking from them to her.

"Yume, this is Hevlaska. Any Innocence that is collected, but has yet to find an Accommodator will rest within her, until someone can be called by them. So in a sense, she's also the storage for the waiting Innocence." Lenalee explained to me. "Hey, Hevlaska, what does her Innocence say towards her destiny?"

"While one will destroy the other will create." Hevlaska said. "Yume Hanazawa, your Innocence claims you to be a Creator…"

* * *

><p><strong>*Phew!* Well, there's chapter two for those who are itching to read! Soo...what are you waiting for? R&amp;R, pweeze? Let me know what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: One Day at a Time

**Yume: Hanashi-san, you're aware you didn't include the disclaimer last chapter, right?**

**Me: Yes. I'm aware. But...I'm sure they know anyway, right?**

**Allen: Maybe you should.**

**Me: It's ****your**** idea, Allen, you do it.**

**Allen: What? Me?**

**Yume: She's lazy. She won't do it. Go ahead.**

**Me: Lazy and proud! But at least I get my chapters in on time! ;)**

**Allen: -clears throat- Well, if you're aware, Hanashi doesn't own anything, or anyone from D. Gray-man.**

**Yume: The only one she takes credit for is me! So Enjoy the story!**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 3: One Day at a Time<span>_

Days passed since, and now my thoughts were elsewhere, as I waited for Kanda in the training room…

..-_Flashback_-..

"_While one will destroy, the other will create. Yume Hanazawa, your Innocence claims you to be a Creator."_

"_Creator?" The lot of us asked. "I'm lost." I admitted._

"_Creator. If one is a Destroyer, there must be one who can create. Thus you are a Creator."_

"_Cryptic." I sighed. "I don't suppose you'll have anymore you can say to me?"_

"_I can only tell you what I am able to. What is destroyed, can be recreated, though never in the same fashion of the original."_

"_Well, Hevlaska, thank you for your valuable time." Komui said, tipping his hat to her. "And believe it or not, her predictions are often deemed true. The thing is, we never know what she means until it happens."_

"_But…why is my synchronization so low? Am I really an Accommodator?"_

"_Although your rate is low, you are this Innocence's Accommodator. It seems it will just take a while before you're able to use it." Ah. That explains things a little._

"_Before we go, can you tell me what kind of Innocence I possess? Komui said I could be parasitic…"_

"_I do not know." Hevlaska said. "Your Innocence could be parasitic, but there's also a chance it may not be. I am sorry, but even with my power, I, myself, am unable to say what kind of weapon your Innocence really is." I bowed to Hevlaska, just as we started our ascend. I was lost in thought when suddenly someone started talking._

"_Wow, we have a yin-yang here." Lenalee told me. I looked at her confused._

"_Yin-yang?" I asked._

"_Our very own Allen Walker was deemed Destroyer. And you are one who creates." Komui explained it to me. " 'Destroyer of Time', Hevlaska called him. But now I wonder, if he destroys time, then what would you create in place of it?"_

"_Destroyer of Time?" I asked, "Allen?" Unfortunately, it was then we were now in the Exorcists' dorms…Allen must've either went to get something to eat, or gone to his room…it was late, so he might've gone to sleep._

"_Miss Hanazawa, you said you were born with your Innocence in your arm, correct?" Komui suddenly asked of me. I nodded, unsure of what he was asking. "But you don't have that appetite most parasitic-types like Allen has."_

"_I never was a big eater…" I shrugged, "what's that got to do with anything?"_

"_I feel as though your Innocence is being secretive. Not even Hevlaska knew which of the three types you are."_

"_Types?"_

"_Yes. There are three. Equipment type, which is the majority of Exorcists, then you have parasitic, which are rare…but there's also a possibility you could also have-"_

"_Brother, you think Yume might have the same thing as me? Crystal-type?"_

"_It's not for certain, Lenalee." Komui sighed. I guess the look of confusion was clear on my face._

"_My brother means that Innocence can be categorized. Mine is a newly discovered version called the crystal-type. Not much is known about it."_

"_Oh, I see." I think I understood it a little better. A little, not a lot. Lenalee showed me the room I would be staying in. I was also told that starting the next day I would be training. This should be fun._

..-_End Flashback_-..

"Hey, are you going to sit there, or are we going to get this over with?" I heard Kanda's voice ask. I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep. I quickly got up, and then bowed apologetically for sleeping. Kanda just rolled his eyes. "For all we know your Innocence is just dormant. My mission is to teach you self-defense, and hope that during this training you'll be able to activate it. The sooner the better. You ready, kid?"

"Don't call me a kid, BaKanda!" I retorted. I swore I saw a vein throb…which it probably did.

"You've got some guts, kid…" He said through clenched teeth, "as punishment, I'm not holding back. Show me what you got." He came at me full force, and I some how managed to dodge it. Even though I lived my whole life in Japan, I never once learned any form of martial arts…so…why did know what was coming?

He came in for a left uppercut, but I managed to block it, I got a few punches in, but the he stopped each one…finally catching one of my blows in his palm. Damn it… I was so screwed. Thinking quick, I attempted a high kick, but using his free arm, he blocked it with his wrist. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back the breath knocked out of me. "Damn it, BaKanda!" I said, just as I heard someone laughing. Kanda and I turned our attention to our intruder…and I knew I never saw him before.

"Wow, Yu, she's just a kid, did you really need to go that far?" he asked. Yu? Wait, did he mean Kanda?

"Idiot, how many times have I told you not to call me by that name?" He seemed to be the same age as Kanda. He had an eye patch over his right eye, and had a head band that currently resting around his neck, and was leaning on an over-sized mallet. The newcomer also had red hair, and like Allen's white hair, I sort of wondered if that really was his natural hair color. I noted that on his right leg there was a kind of holster for what I assumed must be for the hammer he was leaning on. Putting two and two together, I realized that he was also an Accommodator for Innocence. Then again, the jacket was a dead giveaway. His was a little shorter than Allen's, though…or maybe Allen's was just too big on him?

I realized I was proven right when he deactivated the hammer, and placed it in the holster on his leg. "Well, you must be Yume Hanazawa. Nice to meet you." He said while walking over where I was getting up. We shook hands, and I looked at him curiously.

"You are…"

"Lavi . Exorcist, and a junior bookman. Again, nice to meet you, Miss Hanazawa."

"A bookman?"

"Someone who records the unrecorded events in history. Mostly things that aren't official are-" He was cut off by a smaller man, who seemed to have come from nowhere. With his height, was amazed he could jump high enough for a blow to Lavi's face. The man in question's hair seemed to be styled like a question mark. Despite that, he kind of reminded me of a panda bear…just less cute, and more wrinkly.

"So, you are Yume Hanazawa. It's an honor meeting you. I have no significant name, so feel free to call me Bookman."

"Um…sure." Wow. I was meeting a lot of weirdoes…

"What was that for, old panda?" _Whack! _Ouch, that's got to hurt…note for the future, don't call Bookman a panda. I decided.

"Um…I'm in the middle of training right now…"

"In other words, the sooner she can fight, the sooner I get to kill you." Kanda said, glaring at Lavi, who didn't seem to get the message. Well he might've…probably…come to think of it, I didn't really know.

"We heard something rather interesting about you." Bookman started our conversation up again. "While young Allen Walker is the Destroyer of Time, you're a creator of some sort. You were born with your innocence, yet it is unknown of which type you are. Something like this I have never heard of. Is this the truth?"

"I'm still new to this stuff, so I can't really say right now." I admitted. "I'm aware that there are parasitic types like Allen, equip types like Kanda and you…and Komui says I might be like Lenalee with a newly discovered crystal-type."

"Yes, I've heard of that one. We are currently researching what we can about that newly found Innocence." Bookman said.

"Well, you're pretty young," Lavi said, looking me over, "but I'm sure you'll grow up to be one be-" _Wham!_ Ouch…that really looked like it seriously hurt that time around. "What was that for you cranky old panda?"

"Mind your elders." Bookman said. He started pulling Lavi away by his ear, all the while the younger bookman was begging for his ear to be released.

"Um…Kanda, is it always like that?" I asked, looking at the place Bookman and Lavi once stood.

"It's an every day occurrence." Kanda shrugged. "Come on, we'll train more, then get lunch, alright kid?"

"I have a name, BaKanda!" I said sticking my tongue out. With that we continued training. I wondered with all my heart what kind of Innocence I had, and I also wondered if I would ever be able to activate it. Because until I am able to, I would be forever be stuck here, with limited things to do.

/*/*|*\*\

The next few weeks were challenging for me. Kanda showed no mercy in our sessions, and I was starting to get the hang in fighting. I've gotten stronger, but only because I really wanted to get the chance to kick Kanda's sorry ass. He pissed me off as much as…well as much as I never knew who my parents were. I'd only known my brother, and now chances were he was gone too. I felt a sudden blow to my face, and my back made impact on a pillar. I lost my breath.

"Idiot." Kanda said under his breath. Followed by a few profanities that shouldn't be translated. Ever.

"Yu, there's a young lady in your presence, and you're cursing up a storm." Did Lavi understand Japanese too? Or did he just know Kanda well enough? Second one seemed more plausible.

"What are you doing here?" Kanda scowled.

"Komui says he has a mission for you. You and Miranda are to investigate the disappearances of people in a village somewhere in Russia. We think Innocence is involved."

"Tell Komui I'll be there soon." With that he left, and I was left alone with Lavi.

"I guess that means my training session will be put on hold for a while." I sighed. "I've been here for months now, and I still can't get my Innocence to activate."

"Still nothing?" Lavi sighed. "Too bad. We need more Exorcists. There are plenty of finders, and there are many in the science division…aside from Komui, have you met any one else from there, Yu-Yu?"

"Yu-Yu? Don't call me that." I said. "Only Nii-san can call me that."

"Your brother?"

"Yes. That's the name he calls me. No one else is allowed to call me that." I said pouting.

"Okay, okay. I understand. What would you prefer I call you then?"

"Yume." I said simply. "Meaning 'dream', and I was named that because according to Nii-san, she saw me in a dream before she birthed me into this world." I said with a smile on my face. But it wasn't the kind of smile that showed happiness. It was sorrow. Lavi seemed to see this.

"What happened?" Lavi probed.

"Are you asking because your genuinely curious, or is it because you're a bookman?"

After a while, Lavi then answered my question; "Both." he said.

"My mother died when was only two. My father was never around, so my brother always took care of me. Until a few months ago."

"What happened a few months ago?"

"My brother and I…we were just playing in our yard…well I was. I remember finding a cat…it was a really pretty cat too. I'd seen around a few times, so that one day…I decided to go up to it. It was that day that everything changed. No sooner did I try to pet it, I heard screaming. I looked behind me and suddenly there were men and women intruding. My brother told them to leave, but they laughed, and then…and then…" After recollecting my memories, I suddenly started speaking Japanese, "*Īe! Watashi no ani wa...kare wa sorera no...Akuma niyotte satsugai sa reta!"

"Hey, calm down! Um…ah damn…" Through my trembling I felt hands on my shoulders. "Yume? Daijōbu?"

"H-hai." I took a deep breath, before speaking again. I always seemed to speak Japanese when I was upset over something. "I'm sorry. He's dead, isn't he?"

"If he were attacked by Akuma, then I'd have say the only answer is yes. I'm sorry for your loss, Yume."

"Nii-san always was over protective about me…since our mother died. I also remember he didn't like our father too much…"

"Because he wasn't around?"

"Lavi, I never knew my father like my brother knew him. If he wasn't around, then it could be possible."

"He never told you then."

"Nope. But he didn't need to. I saw the look in his eyes. When I was younger, I asked him about father, but he just smiled and said; "Yu-Yu, don't worry about dad. You don't need to know about someone like him." But it was that smile…something about it just told me he was hiding his hate behind a mask."

"Sounds like someone I know." Lavi sighed. "The only difference he hides all his emotions behind that scowl of a mask."

"You're talking about Kanda." I guessed, giggling.

"Smart kid." Lavi said, rustling my hair. "Come on, it's around lunch time, and you must be hungry from training, right?" I nodded. With that he led me to the cafeteria.

"…a dozen curry dishes, and for dessert give me fifteen of the best dangos you've got!" I watched Allen in amazement as he carried enough food to feed twenty starving children. I made no comment until he took a seat at the table Lavi and I were occupying.

"I know you're a parasitic type and all, Allen, but c'mon, where are you really keeping all that food you scarf down?"

"Fmf?" Allen had a dango in his mouth. I laughed seeing him trying to talk and eat it at the same time. "Mfff, Wafi, Fumi" -he swallowed his dango before continuing thank god- "Lavi, Yume, what brings you here?"

"Lunch." I answered, gesturing towards my plate of food. "I'm envious of you. You can eat so much and never grow any larger than you are right now."

"Is that a complement or an insult?" Allen questioned me.

"Why would I-"

"In other words," Lavi interrupted me, "you're able to eat so much, and yet you don't seem to grow an inch taller, huh short stack?"

"Allen. It's Allen, or has BaKanda rubbed off you too?"

"Aw, and I thought I was being original with the nickname!" I pouted.

"No, Allen's been calling Yu that for a while, Yu-Yu."

"Yume. It's Yume." I said, through clenched teeth. "I thought I told you that only Nii-san can ever call me that?"

"Well, how about you look at me as an older brother figure than?" Lavi said, attempting at a puppy-dog face.

"Hmm. How about you run away before you become blind in both eyes?" I suggested.

"C'mon, Yu-Yu, have a heart." Lavi giving a forlorn a sigh. "Looks like he rubbed off you too."

"Damn it! Don't call me Yu-Yu! You're not my brother!"

"I wouldn't bother, Yume." Allen sighed, "Lavi's a good person, but he also likes to get on people's rough side."

"Stupid rabbit." I pouted. Using the nickname I'd heard Kanda use for him.

"Hey, I'm right here y'know." Lavi complained.

"Your form is off, kid." Kanda said, slapping the back of my head. He'd only been back for a couple of days, and already he was working me to the bone. First karate, then judo…now he was teaching me kendo. Kendo! I wasn't getting anywhere with a damn sword…although it could be worse I guess…he could use Mugen on me. I'd seen him use it when he got back from his mission…on both Lavi and Allen.

"I'm no good at this, BaKanda!" I complained. "Why a sword?"

"If you're an equip-type you'll need to learn how to master getting the feeling of your weapon. You have to think of it as an extension of your arm."

"What if it's not a sword?"

"It won't matter. So long as you can consider your weapon as a part of you, you'll have little trouble with wielding it."

"Sword-crazy idiot." I said under my breath. "Can't we go back to learning judo?"

"You've already mastered what you need to know form both martial arts, kid."

"Why are you so against calling me by my name? Even calling me Hanazawa is fine! I'm not a kid."

"I've said it to that damn bean sprout, and I'll say it to you. If you want me to call you by your name, you'll have to either prove your name's worth remembering, or you survive here for a month. Understood?"

"Heartless jerk." I muttered, before getting thrown back into a mock battle with Kanda. Truthfully I was starting to wonder if I would ever get my Innocence to activate. As if to answer my unasked question, Kanda ended up giving an answer I'd heard from my brother many times before;

"We'll take it one day at a time, kid." Yeah. It's obvious I wouldn't get anything done on the first try. Smirking, I mentally added; _After all, Rome wasn't built in a day, now was it?_

**A/N: I should hope that words like "Daijōbu", "hai", and "Nii-san" don't need to be translated for you.**

**Let's see what was being said! Shall we?**

***Īe! Watashi no ani wa...kare wa sorera no...Akuma niyotte satsugai sa reta! = No! My brother...he was murdered by those...Akuma!**

**And also, reviews are welcome! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: The First Mission

**Lavi: You posted a chapter so early in the morning, huh, Hana-chan?**

**Me: -yawns- Yeah...**

**Yume: And this is why you're too lazy to tell the readers what you don't own?**

**Me: Uh-huh...-yawns again-...Lavi, be a good friend and do the disclaimer, por favor?**

**Lavi: Well, Hana-san isn't Katsura Hoshino, and being she's not, I'm pretty sure she doesn't own any of us, except of course Yu-Yu!**

**Yume: Damn it, Lavi, don't call me Yu-Yu! But as he said, Hanashi-san only owns me, Yume Hanazawa!**

**Lavi: Happy reading!**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 4: The First Mission<span>_

"You wanted to see me, Komui?" I asked, entering the ever so messy office of Komui Lee. I swore, there was enough papers here to recreate the forests they came from.

"Yes. I'm going to send you on a mission." Komui told me. I cocked my head to the side, looking at him confused. "This is your first one, so you won't be going alone. I've sent for Lenalee and Allen, and they'll be going with you."

"A mission?"

"Of course. Oh, Johnny!" He called. I looked behind me to see a young man with strange glasses, and it seemed his hair was tied back in a frizzy manner. I swore it looked as though he ran a marathon.

"Yes?" He said between breaths.

"Is Miss Hanazawa's uniform ready for her?"

"It is! Just in time it seems." Funny, Johnny reminded me so much of a kid when he'd get excited like that…I watched him go, as he went to get the uniform. I stood there dumbfounded.

"Komui…you know I can't activate my Innocence. So let me get this straight. Besides the first obvious point, you want me to go on a mission…"

"Yes."

"With the assistance of Lenalee and Allen…"

"That's right."

"Even though we both know I'm pretty useless right now?"

"That's the gist of it, yes."

"And you want me to go, where?"

"I'll brief you when Allen and Lenalee gets here." By then Johnny came back, holding a box and handed it to me. I opened it and stared at the uniform I'd seen many times around the Order. It came with boots, skirt, socks and the Exorcist jacket.

"Wow…this is mine?"

"Uh-huh. Because we don't know what kind of innocence you have, we of the Science Dept. made this one especially for you! The material will protect you from extreme weather conditions, and it's lightweight so you can move around freely. We know there's a slight chance you may not be a parasitic type, so we ended up making the jacket a little resistant to the bullets Akuma will fire. You should go try it on, Yume." Johnny didn't even take a breath of air as he explained this to me. I nodded, and made my way to one of the bathrooms.

I looked in the mirror admiring how the uniform looked on me. What scared me was the fact I never told anyone my sizes…but I'd rather not look a gift horse in the mouth. The uniform was black and red, as were the others. But each was styled differently. For example, Kanda's uniform had a trench coat appearance to it, while Lavi's reached his waist, and Allen's just about reached his hip. Lenalee's, of course was about the same as theirs, but with a skirt rather than the pants the boys wore.

The jacket itself was a turtleneck jacket that had the Rose Cross on the upper left hand side. Like all the uniforms I'd seen up until now, this one had the same red trimmings in the same pattern as everyone else. Two red stripes encircling the bottom base of both sleeves, a red trimming that went from the collar of the jacket to the to bottom, and buttons keeping it fastened on the right hand side of the garment. Same design, just made specially for me. There was also a duo chain that reached near the crest to the opposite side. The uniform, like Lenalee's also included a red skirt, which left me a little uncomfortable. I'd never fought in a skirt before. First time for everything, right? For the time being, when I came to the Order I had no shoes. The nurse was kind enough to give me a pair she had when she was my age. I was grateful for her kindness. The shoes she gave me were black slip-ons, and they fit me nicely, matching the dark gray-almost-black socks that I was also given.

I looked in the box…there was nothing there to cover the black crystal on the back of my hand. I sighed. Then made my way back into the room that was supposed to be an office. I heard a cat-call before I heard his voice speak.

"Strike!" Lavi said, examining me. "Jeez, Yu-Yu, if I had known you'd look so striking in an Exorcist's uniform, I'd love to have seen you in it sooner!"

"And it seems Allen's right, some of Kanda's idiocy is rubbing off on you. I told you, only Nii-san can call me that. No one else."

"Have a heart, Yu-Yu!"

"Cut it out, Lavi!" I exclaimed, turning around to see he was closer to me than I thought. I backed up, realizing how close he was. I was able to see how green his visible eye was. It also came to me that his eyes saw more than he'd let on…but I suddenly felt the blush creeping on my face, I turned my face away from him, muttering, "Idiot."

"Ah? Yu-Yu, you're face is turning red…could it be? Are you falling for me?"

"Of course not!" I quickly shouted, when I heard what he said, "I'm thirteen, and you're acting like a pedophile."

"C'mon, I'm not that old. I'm around the same age as Yu, you know. Besides, it's only a five year difference. No biggie."

"You may be the same age as Kanda," I pointed out, "but you tend to act like a kid at times…no offence, but I'm surprised Mugen never made contact with skin."

"He says he'd slice us, but Yu's as harmless as you are, Yu-Yu." Lavi chuckled.

"You're not the one who has to go through harsh training with him." I sighed, recalling the one instance where Kanda nearly sliced my right arm off…he wasn't even using Mugen…I shuttered at the memory. That being said, I soon made my way into Komui's office, parting ways with Lavi for the time being.

"Oh, there you are!" Lenalee said. When I got closer, she quickly took something out of her jacket's pocket, and quickly tied it into my hair. "I knew that look would work for you." she smiled. Lenalee had tied my hair so the hair tie was centered pretty well.

"Thanks, Lenalee." I said, not really knowing what I should say. "Um, Komui, what are we doing, exactly?"

"The lot of you will be heading to a town near the border of Russia. Finders in that area discovered a hoard of Akuma. There are mostly level ones and twos, but it we lost contact with them shortly after."

"So you want us to investigate?" Allen asked, finally grabbing the golden thing that was flying around him.

"That's how it is. Yume, good luck on your mission. Allen, Lenalee, remember your job is also to protect her."

"We know, we know." Lenalee told her brother. "Come on, let's get going, okay?"

"Okay." Allen and I replied.

/*/*|*\ *\

"How frequently do you guys go on missions like this?" I asked, fidgeting in my seat. We'd be traveling by train for the next week and a half to get to where we needed to be. "A lot? A little? Or is it somewhere in the middle?"

"When you start going on more missions, you'll see for yourself how it works, okay?" Lenalee promised me.

"Okay." The strange golden thing was perched on Allen's shoulder, and if I didn't know better, I'd think it was staring at me… "Um, Allen, what is that thing anyway?" I guess I must've offended it. The strange golden creature ended up flying towards me, but Allen was holding it by its tail.

"This is a golem. This one in particular is named Timcanpy, he actually belongs to my master."

"Golem?" I asked, curious. "But it's different than the others I've seen around the order." The ones I'd seen were mindless machine like things that flew around with no sense of life in them…and there was also the fact this one was huge.

"General Cross had his golem modified to his preferences." Lenalee explained further.

"I'd like one like Timcanpy…do you think I can?"

"We'll ask Komui when we get back." Allen promised. "Come to think of it, you don't have one yet, do you?"

"Why do you think I asked if I could get one similar to Timcanpy?" I looked at the golden golem. He was still trying to get out of Allen's grip. Despite its fidgeting, I saw that Timcanpy had a large cross on the front, a little paler than the rest of it. The wings reminded me of angel wings, and it had little horns on its head. The end of his tail looked almost like a flame on yarn… "Can I hold him?"

"Uh…" As if to answer my question for him, Tim did something to cause Allen's hand, forcing him to release his tail. He landed on my head, where he stayed for a little while. The little stubs for feet tickled me on impact.

"Hello, Timcanpy, nice to meet you." I said removing him from my head. "You're a really amazing golem…and surprisingly warm!" I giggled. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the little guy blushed! Wait, can golems do that?

"I guess he decided you're okay to be with him." Allen sighed. "He was actually smaller a while ago…"

"He grows?" I exclaimed amazed by this newly discovered fact. "No way!"

"He also eats some of Allen's food." Lenalee giggled.

"That's so funny!" I laughed. "If I had a golem with a personality of its own, like Timcanpy does, then that'd be awesome." For some reason, Allen seemed a little nervous when I said that. "Allen?"

It was a long journey, but we'd finally made it the town in question. Not that there was anyone here. "A ghost town." Allen breathed. Lenalee ran to one of the buildings, and gasped.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rushing over. All I saw were the clothes of people and a lot of dust. "Why would people leave their clothes like that?"

"They were attacked." Allen answered. "By Akuma." as if on cue, Allen's left eye seemed to have activated. I was shocked at the sight. He had one large cog rotating with a smaller one to the upper left side of it. The white of that eye turned black, and the iris seemed to have changed too…black with red outlining showing the iris and the pupil. He quickly grabbed me, just as something shot at us.

"Exorcists. I'll have your heads!" We looked to see an Akuma before us. It looked as though it wore a suit of armor. Although I was pretty sure that wasn't the case, being its mouth could be seen as well, and it gave us a toothy grin. One which I knew wasn't one to smile back to…I felt fear.

"Level three!" Lenalee exclaimed. "Allen, get her out of here! I can take care of the level three!"

"On it!" Allen said. "Innocence, activate! Crown Clown!" He shouted, picking me up, and running. In an instant Allen's attire changed.

His Exorcist's uniform was still there, but now over it he wore a white cowl, which also doubled as a kind of cloak. But the back of it looked more like scraps of fabric that were purposely put there.

I also noted that round his neck was a mask, it was dark, but its design suggested it could also be used in a masquerade ball. The left side of the cloak he now wore looked as though it were tucked literally under his arm which was now fully black. His hand had changed, making it look more like a glove that had five blade-like fingers, which I noted could extend and retract at his will.

The next thing I realized was that we were almost flying. Allen's Crown Clown (as I assumed it was named) had a few attacks, and this one was called "clown belt". The reason, I soon found out, was because the cowl had extended itself, grabbing hold of what it was able to. It was because of this we were suspended in the air.

"Allen!" I screeched, pointing behind him. Another level three.

"Damn, Yume, I need you to hold on, my hands will be full." I didn't need to be told twice. Allen quickly shifted me so I was on his back. I held tightly, as I watched in amazement he held his left arm pulling it. My eyes widened as it changed into a sword. I freaking big one at that. And he held it with only one arm. "Pitiful Akuma, may this bring salvation to your soul." He said as he took a swing at the demon before us. The Akuma was fast, very fast. I held tight, not wanting to fall to the ground almost a mile down.

"You will need to be faster than that, Exorcist." The Akuma sneered. "The Earl will be very pleased to have your head!"

"Allen…" I breathed, staring at the level three. This wasn't the first time I'd seen an Akuma of course. But remembering what happened back home…it wasn't hard to feel fearful. My right hand was tingling for some reason…but I ignored it. I felt a sudden jerk, and I was taken away from Allen. "Allen!" I screamed, realizing another Akuma had joined the battle.

"My, so young, aren't you? You're an Exorcist, are you not? Why don't you activate that Innocence of yours? Hmm?"

"*Īe! Watashi o shita ni oki nasai! Tasukete!" I screamed. "Aren! Renarī! Watashi o sukue!"

"Yume!" I heard Allen call me. I heard the Akuma scream as it exploded, then Allen made his way to the Akuma that was holding me captive. But it moved too fast for him.

"I don't think so." The level three smirked. "You can't do anything against me when I hold a hostage."

"*Watashi ga yukō!" I shouted. Things happened so fast. I saw a new Akuma heading our way, but this one…it made me more scared than anything. It had the face of a baby doll, its eyes wide and innocent looking. But at the same time, it reminded me of an elderly man, however when it spoke, it sounded like a child.

"So you're the Exorcist I heard so much about?" It asked Allen. "You must be that Exorcist who can't activate her Innocence." It said looking at me now. I didn't know why, but just by looking at this one…it made me feel sick. Very sick. I threw up a little, but it didn't make past my lips. I swallowed the vile tasting crap, as it burned my throat going back down.

"Damn it…" Allen breathed seeing the new threat. "Level four?"

"F-four?" I gasped, finally able to get my emotions in check. "That's a level four?"

"Lenalee!" Allen called. The level three started roaring in pain, and it let its grasp release me. I started falling towards the ground below. At the height we were at, I'd die the instant I'd hit the ground. Something broke my fall, and I saw it was Lenalee.

"Yume, stay hidden, we'll take care of that level four Akuma." she told me. With that she leapt into the skies once more, ready to help Allen. I didn't move. I just stayed where I was.

"I'm so useless." I whimpered, looking up at my friends. "I'm the one who always needs saving…it's not fair…" this was the truth.

..-_Flashback_-..

"*_Yu-Yu? Naniyatten'no?" My brother asked of me one day. It was a nice simple day in our home, and everything was as peaceful at it always was. I was five years old back then. I looked up to my brother, who back then had his dark hair grown out up to his shoulders. He was eleven, but we lived on our own. He was the grown up. In a sense._

"*_Nii-san? Watashi wa ki nobori suru." I simply answered. There was something up there that I wanted, a really beautiful sakura. It was in full bloom, and I wanted to preserve it._

"*_Sore o shinai, Yū-Yū." He warned me. "Anata ga kegawosuru koto ga dekimasu, anata wa shitte iru?" Of course I knew that, but that didn't stop me from wanting to get that sakura flower. When my brother left to get some groceries in town, I went to climb the tree and get that flower on the branch that was far from my reach. I was a good climber, but it was still hard to get up the tree. Daisuke always worried about me too much. I started climbing the tree, my mind solely on the plant. It wasn't long before I'd finally made it to the branch the sakura was on. It was also by then my brother had gotten home. I heard glass break, and door swing open, but I ignored all that, reaching for the flower now in my reach._

"*_Anata ga nani o shite iru, Yū-Yū? Anata ga ochiru mae ni soko kara orite!" I heard him exclaim. Shocked, I lost my center of balance, and it wasn't long before I fell. Daisuke did manage to catch me before I could fall and hurt myself, but it was also the day since then I'd be in a situation that involved someone saving me.  
><em>..-_End Flashback_-..

That day was the first time it happened. But it wasn't the last. "Innocence activate! Level two release!" Lenalee exclaimed. I hadn't realized I was sitting on the ground. I watched as the two fought the level four Akuma together. I wanted to help them…but…

"Lenalee!" Allen shouted. I noticed that the mask that hung around his neck was now on his face. "Behind you!" I watched Lenalee dodging the level four's attack, after nearly getting hit by it. Allen used his sword to land an attack on the opponent.

"You seem to be enjoying the show, huh my little Exorcist?" That voice. I quickly turned around to see a man who seemed over-dressed for an occasion as this. Top hat, tuxedo, slacks, dress shoes. All black, except for the shirt under it which was white. He was also wearing white gloves…but despite the clothes covering his body, it was his face that caught my attention. He had curly hair which was neatly combed back, and he had strange scars across his forehead…his skin wasn't a natural dark color…

"W-who are you?" I asked, jumping up.

"It's only been a few months. I wasn't pleased when you stomped on my foot on our first meet, little Exorcist."

"You're…that man from before?" I asked, backing up, not believing what I was seeing. "You're…you're the one who had those Akuma attack my brother and me!"

"Ah, so you do remember? And here I thought you'd forgotten." I'd backed up more, until my back hit a wall of one of the few remaining things standing. My onyx eyes were full of fear as I watched this man advance on me…why? In a time I needed it most, why wouldn't my Innocence activate?

_Because you aren't ready. Not yet. _The voice was something deep down within me. Beyond my heart. Deep within my subconscious. It wouldn't activate…because I wasn't ready? i_You aren't ready to use it._

"I-Innocence…" I stuttered, unsure of if this would work or not, will it work? I wanted it to work…hell I needed it to work! So many things happened at once, before I found myself blacking out.

/*/*|*\ *\

"…p! You've got to wake up, Yume!" The voice sounded distant…was that…Lenalee's voice?

"C'mon, Yume, wake up now, okay? Wake up!" That voice belonged to Allen. I moaned, and slowly opened my eyes…my vision was blurred, and it was hard to see what was going on. "Thank God."

"Allen? Lenalee?" I asked weakly. Then I quickly shot up, just barely missing their heads. "What happened? I don't remember what happened…" My head hurt. And the back of my hand was hurting. I looked at the gem on my right hand…the one facing my fingers wasn't black anymore. It was a crimson color, and slightly glowing. "What the…?"

"What's wrong?" Allen asked me, quickly taking my hand. "It's…like blood." Allen observed.

"We should have Hevlaska look at it." Lenalee decided. "Although it does seem strange."

"Strange?" I asked, wondering how much stranger my arm could possibly get. "What's so strange about it?"

"Well, when Allen first arrived at the Order, his arm was much different than it is now-."

"His arm wasn't always how it is now?" I questioned, finding it hard to believe for some reason.

"Yes. It used to look red and scaly." Allen clarified. "But maybe you should listen to what Lenalee has to say, alright?"

"Oh…I'm sorry, Lenalee, continue."

"Well, the gem-like things on the back of his hand always had a green glow to it. When I compare the gem-like things on his hand, to yours, I've come to the conclusion that maybe you're Innocence wasn't 'turned on', in a sense. At least, not before what happened today."

"I had that impression too…unless this is Tyki Mikk's doing."

"Who's Tyki Mikk?" I asked, confused.

"He's from the Clan of Noah." Allen explained to me, his voice grave. "I've encountered him in the past, and on one occasion he was ordered to destroy my Innocence, and kill me in the process. He succeeded in destroying my left arm, which is my Innocence, but what he thought destroyed, was still around. It was thanks to the mist my Innocence became for that time being my life was spared."

"Your Innocence saved you?"

"Yes. Some of my Innocence has become part of my heart. But I wasn't the only one this had happened to. I was told Lenalee's saved her life. Once was while I was working on rebuilding my Innocence, to what you've seen now, and again when we went to fight the Earl."

"Innocence…can do that?" I whispered to myself. I looked down to my hand, looking at the one gem that glowed crimson. What happened when the other four lit up? Would that mean I'd be able to finally help my friends?

"We still have to find the Finders." Lenalee told us. "Most of them might've been killed, but there could still be some hiding out somewhere."

"Of course." Allen agreed. "There aren't any more Akuma in this area, but even if there were, I'd know."

"Allen…" I began, thinking back to what happened to his eye, "what happened to you?" Lenalee and Allen both stopped in their tracks, as they turned back to look at me. The older Exorcists looked at each other and a message I didn't catch seemed to pass between them.

"My eye can see the souls of Akuma." Allen began explaining to me. "When I was younger, I lost my foster father, Mana. I mourned over his death, and that was when I first met _him_. The Millennium Earl."

"Millennium Earl?"

"That's right. He preys on those who are in mourning over a lost loved-one. Saying he can bring back the soul of the one taken from the earth. But back then, I didn't know better, I wanted to see Mana again. I fell for the Earl's deception, and called Mana's name, and as was told, his soul was brought back. But he was now an Akuma to which the Earl had control over. Mana ended up cursing me, giving me the left eye that can see the souls within those machines. That was also the first time my Innocence activated, and thus was the first Akuma I destroyed."

"I…" I didn't know what to say when Allen told me what happened. So I ended up changing the subject instead, "Allen, Lenalee, what happened when I blacked out?"

"When we finished destroying that level four, it was Lenalee who saw that Tyki Mikk was also here. It looked like you were trying to say something, but then this strange light appeared, only to fade out as quickly as it appeared."

"Was it…my Innocence?"

"We don't know that for sure." Allen sighed, "come on, we need to see if any of the Finders are still around, okay?"

"Yeah." I held Lenalee's hand, and we followed Allen through the streets of the town. I saw plenty of Finders' uniforms, but after searching the whole area four times, we came to the conclusion that they didn't make it. This wasn't easy for a thirteen-year-old to handle, and they both realized this.

"I guess we'll have to head back then." Lenalee said, looking at the ghost town. "It's possible none of the Finders survived this after all."

"Not even the villagers." I noted, remember the clothes left behind in the last building I saw. And previous ones before then.

"There's no one left." Lenalee confirmed. "I found four other Finders' uniforms. It seems the whole team was wiped out."

"They…never had a chance." I said, thinking back to the level three we had also encountered.

"Come on." Allen said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Let's go home."

* * *

><p><strong>What's being said? Well, let's see, shall we? :3<strong>

*** Īe! Watashi o shita ni oki nasai! Tasukete! Aren! Renarī! Watashi o sukue! = No! Put me down! Help! Allen! Lenalee! Save me!**

*** Watashi ga yukō! = Let me go!**

*** _Yu-Yu? Naniyatten'no?_ = Yu-Yu? What are you doing?**

*** _Nii-san? Watashi wa ki nobori suru. = _Big brother? I just want to climb the tree.**

*** _Anata ga nani o shite iru, Yū-Yū? Anata ga ochiru mae ni soko kara orite! = _What are you doing, Yu-Yu? Get down from there before you fall!**

**-Phew- I hope I got all those translations...anyway, here's chapter 4 of Secret Exorcist! Don't forget to R&R! (^o^)**


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome Home!

**Me: -Yawns- Man, I'm so sleepy right now!**

**Yume: Well, you did just wake up Hanashi-san.**

**Kanda: Che. You're probably the most pathetic author in the world.**

**Me: Oi, if I were actually pathetic, I wouldn't be getting my chapters in on time, BaKanda. As punishment, YOU do the disclaimer!**

**Kanda: Are you asking to die?**

**Me: Do it, or else.**

**Allen: Sh-she's scary when she's only just woken up...**

**Lavi: Y-yeah...you better do it, Yu.**

**Kanda: Che. I'll still slice you when I'm done. All three of you. She doesn't own D. Gray-man, and that means she doesn't own us. -draws Mugen-**

**Me, Allen, and Lavi: -pales, then starts running for their lives-**

**Yume: ...-clears throat- The only character she does take credit for is me. Yume Hanazawa. I think I better go stop Kanda from killing Hanashi-san and my friends...enjoy the story everyone!**

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 5: Welcome Home! Where Your Family is Waiting<span>_

"Lenalee!" Komui was hugging his sister who seemed to be a little annoyed with his attitude. "I missed you too much! And your coffee!"

"Um, Komui, is Lenalee's coffee really that great?" I asked, not really understanding how anyone could drink that bitter stuff.

"Of course!" He said, a glint in his eyes. "Lenalee knows how to make it right!" His attention then turned to my right hand, with the dim lit gem on it. Realizing what he was staring at, I started explaining.

"All the Finders in the area were killed by a level three Akuma." I informed him. "I was almost attacked by someone who goes by the name of Tyki Mikk, and…one of the gems lit up."

"Hmm…we'll have you see Hevlaska then." Komui said becoming business-like. "Perhaps your Innocence is starting to slowly activate. If that's so, then I can't really say I've heard of Innocence like yours before. Come on, Yume." Without resisting, I followed him, while Lenalee went to get coffee for the science section.

"Komui," I asked, staring at my right hand, "I know you've thought so before, but of the three types, which do you believe I could actually have?"

"Well," Komui said, thinking his answer though, "I still say you could be parasitic, but being not even Hevlaska can tell, any of the three could be a good chance of you getting such. Whether its parasitic, like our own Allen Walker, Equipment type like Kanda, Lavi and the lot, or there could be a chance you also have what we call crystal."

"What's the crystal type anyway?" I inquired. Komui stopped, and pushed his glasses up a little.

"It's only been recently discovered, so we don't know exactly. Lenalee's dark boots are an example the crystal-type Innocence. Believe it or not, it wasn't that long ago since that happened. Our old Headquarters was destroyed by a level four Akuma attack led by Lulu Bell."

"Lulu Bell?" I asked, "Funny, that seems more like the name of a cat my neighbor had. It was a tabby." I shrugged.

"Getting back to the story," Komui said, dragging me along now, "the fight cost us several of our men from the science department. Someone we were very fond of was lost to us."

"I never knew about that…" I said, nearly bumping into Kumoi. He gave me a reassuring smile, as if to say; 'Don't worry, you weren't here back then, so it's fine that you didn't know about it.' "So…how did Lenalee become a crystal-type user?"

"Her Innocence melted into her hands, and she drank it." I made a disgusted face, somehow drinking Innocence didn't sound like it was good for anyone's health. "It caused her to start bleeding heavily, and with the blood, the dark boots were reborn. When they're deactivated, you normally see them as crimson anklets that she always wears." I remembered them. So crystal-type innocence was created from the blood of the Accommodator.

"By the way, Komui, you said it was recently…"

"Crystal type Innocence are the evolved form of those who have equipment type Innocence. They drink the Innocence, and in return, their blood is used to create a highly powerful weapon. But it is still unclear as to what the Crystal-type will do to its user, I'm afraid." By the time we concluded our discussion, we were once again greeted by Hevlaska. I bowed respectfully, before I was lifted to get my Innocence checked.

"It appears it's waking up." Hevlaska said approvingly. "Your synchronization with your Innocence is now up to 30%."

"It went up fifteen percentage points?" I asked amazed by the outcome.

"Yes. Although I'm sure you can activate it now, there are still dangers involved. I would advise you not activate your Innocence unless you are above fifty percent."

"I see…" I said as she placed me down beside Komui. "Thank you for your time, Hevlaska." I said, bowing once more. The elevator ascended, and I couldn't help but sigh.

"Something wrong, Yume?"

"I'm happy my sychro-rate went up," I admitted, "but until it's high enough, there's no way I can help anyone. I was helpless when I first met Tyki Mikk…and now again…I…couldn't…I couldn't do anything to help my friends!" I exclaimed braking down.

"What do you mean when you first met Tyki Mikk?"

"It was back home." I admitted. "He had a hoard of Akuma with him, and killed my brother. My only remaining family…I don't know where my father is. The first time I met Tyki Mikk was several months ago. He and the Akuma were after the Innocence in my right arm. Then they went on to saying that it could be the Heart…what do they mean?"

"It seems we may have three candidates for who could be the Heart now. Lenalee and her dark boots, or Allen and his Crown Clown…and it seems you could be a possible choice as well."

"Allen and Lenalee?"

"Yes. Both their Innocence saved their lives." Komui clarified. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were the Heart of Innocence."

"What…is the Heart?"

"Destroy it, and all the Innocence in the world will cease to exist. We'll leave it that for now." I nodded, though I couldn't quite put my finger on what he meant. True, it was unknown as to what my Innocence was capable of…and of course let's face it, if that possibility exists, then even I could be the Heart. I was born with my Innocence after all…then again, I heard Allen was too.

"Yu-Yu!" I heard the all too familiar voice of Lavi shout. "Hey! Yu-Yu!"

"You're forbidden to call me "Yu-Yu" stupid rabbit!"

"Ah come on! It's just a nickname! I didn't even know your brother called you that until you told me." He pouted. I sighed.

"True. But don't bring up that nickname. I may not look it, but I can be as scary as Kanda." It was only half a lie. There are times when I could be as scary as Kanda, but for the most part, I'm normally calm and great to get along with.

"A second Kanda?" I heard someone's voice ask, I looked behind me to see a man with a lab coat. He seemed rather irritated. He had a light brown hair, and looked as though he were overworked. "I'm starting to wonder if all the Japanese are like Kanda."

"Oh, Reever, hello!" I said bowing.

"See? I knew you couldn't be like Yu even if you tried, Yu-Yu!" Lavi laughed. I sighed. I'd bet my allowance he'd find out eventually.

"Yume, we'd like you to come with us to the cafeteria."

"Cafeteria?" I asked, confused. Reever smiled, and Lavi seemed to remember something.

"Which reminds me…see you later, Yu-Yu!"

"Yume! It's Yume, stupid rabbit!" I shouted after him.

"Yu-Yu?" Reever asked, rather confused.

"It's the nickname Nii-san used to call me." I sighed, "I told Lavi that…"

"But he doesn't listen? You get used to it…unless your Allen or Kanda…"

"So, you needed me in the cafeteria?" I interrupted his reverie. Reever looked to me, and quickly escorted me to the cafeteria.

"SURPRISE!" It seemed everyone in the Oder was here! I immediately spotted Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, and even Kanda of all people!

"This is all for me?" I asked them.

"Of course." Lenalee said with a giggle, "Here at the Order, everyone is considered family. This is our way of making you feel welcome."

"G-guys!" I was so overjoyed. My eyes were starting to water.

"Welcome home," Allen said, "I hope you'll enjoy being here with us."

"I-I'm home!" I sobbed with glee. For the first time since I came here…I finally felt like I really was home.

"Waaah!" We all turned to see that a woman tripped and fell, with her slice of cake landing on her head.

"Miranda!" Lenalee gasped, quickly rushing to her fallen comrade. "Are you okay?"

"I've had worse…I lived the same day over, and over, and over, and over…" She began to repeat. She had brown shoulder length hair, and looked like she was a nervous wreck for most of her life. Which actually turned out to be true.

"Yes, I remember that." Lenalee said. She started recalling the incident that happened to her and Allen back in Germany. "Yume, this is Miranda Lotto. Miranda, this is Yume Hanazawa. I think this is your first time meeting each other, right?"

"Ah, you're our newest Exorcist? So young!"

"It's nice meeting you, Miranda." I said with a smile. "Don't you get any sleep?" I asked, seeing the bags under her eyes.

"Try living the same day over for days on end." Miranda sighed, "It'll cause anyone to have trouble sleeping."

"Come to think of it…I think Allen once told me of how Innocence could keep repeating the same day over countless times…was he referring to what happened with you?"

"In fact, it is." Miranda said with a deadpan expression. "I hope I don't have to go through that again."

"Wow." I was genuinely shocked. Then with a more cheery expression, I quickly ran to Komui, "Komui!" I called out.

"Oh, there you are!" Komui said, holding a box in his hands. "Allen and Lenalee told me you wanted a golem of your own."

"Yeah…" I said recalling what I've told the two on the train ride there. "You mean?"

"As behalf of the Science Section, let me present you with this specially made golem." He opened the box, and out flew a tiny silver golem. My eyes widened in shock. It was so beautiful!

"Kawaī!" I squealed. Watching the new golem fly around. I held out my hand, and it landed on my palm. It looked like Timcanpy…but not really. While Tim had a cross on his face, this one had an imitation of the gems on my right hand, the golem's were actually dark gray against the bright silver body. It's wings were white, and actually reminded me of the first snowfall of winter. The tail of this golem was long and skinny, ending with something that was either a heart or a spade at the end of it tail. I noticed it also had horns on either side of the top "gem", and stubby little legs.

"We were going to name it," I looked up to see Johnny speaking, "however, we thought that maybe you should instead."

"Really? Hmm…" I thought long and hard about what I would want to name this newly created golem of mine. "I know! His name will be Fuyuyuki!"

"Fuyuyuki?" Kanda's voice asked. I turned around, seeing him observing my golem, which was still nested in my hand.

"Allen's has a name, so why not mine?" I asked.

"It's a suiting name for it." Was all Kanda said, before leaving.

"Whoa, I never thought I'd see the day." Komui said, amazed, "Kanda of all people, giving a complement?"

"I'm shocked too," I said, watching his retreating figure.

"Hey! Yu-Yu!" I flinched at the nickname. "So this is where you went! We've been looking everyone for you!"

"Is that your new golem?" Allen asked staring at Fuyuyuki.

"Yup! Isn't he beautiful?" I noticed Timcanpy was staring at this new golem, and I also noticed it had a toothy grin…what the? Tim has a mouth?

"Tim, don't scare Yume's golem. Don't scare Yume either. She's our friend, remember?" The said golem fluttered out of my palm, staring at Tim. It gave its own grin, which actually scared Timcanpy…

"Fuyuyuki! Don't go scaring Tim! Respect your elders." The small silver golem looked up to Tim, sticking his tongue out the golden golem. Great. I had a golem with attitude. "Jeez, you've got one heck of an attitude, y'know that?"

"Well…" Komui said, also watching Allen's expression, "originally we wanted to give miss Hanazawa here something more like the ones the other Exorcists would get…and it started out that way, but General Cross decided it'd be better if it were modified like Timcanpy…so he did just that. But I guess things turned out okay in the end!"

"General Cross?" I asked, curious, "If he helped with my golem, then I should thank him too! Where is he?" Komui pointed me in the right direction, to a man who was enjoying wine. He had red hair, though longer than Lavi's, and a goatee. I ran up to him, just before I heard Allen scolding Komui for something I couldn't catch. "General Cross!" I shouted, when I managed to get to him.

"Hmm? Well, don't we have a fine young lady here." He said kneeling down so we saw eye to eye. Now that I saw him better, Cross had a mask on half his face, and still managed to wear glasses. He also had the biggest gun I've ever seen and that was still in its holster! "I see you have the golem I modified for you. Did you name it?"

"Yes. But I wanted to thank you so much for this golem, General Cross!" I said bowing in respect. "I named him Fuyuyuki."

"Fuyuyuki? That's right, you come from Japan like that Kanda person." Cross said, not taking his eyes off me.

"Master!" I heard Allen say in anger.

"Well, if it isn't my idiot apprentice." Cross said in a bored voice, while getting back into a standing posture. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm busy entertaining."

"Master…she's thirteen." Allen said a dark aura encompassing him. I cowered behind Cross, upon seeing this side of Allen. The next thing I knew, I heard a i_thunk!_/i, and then Allen was on the floor holding his head in pain.

"I have the biggest idiot of an apprentice this world has to offer." He said, looking down on my friend. "Thirteen, near seventeen, both show that they are women."

"Leave Lenalee out this! It's bad enough you womanize every young female you come across!" I swore I hear Allen curse under his breath.

"Tell me then, my idiot pupil," I noticed that Cross had taken out a cigarette, lit it, then started smoking it. "Is this fine young lady yours?" I looked to Allen who suddenly reddened at the mention of such a question. Why was he blushing?

"O-Of course n-not! She's thirteen, Master!"

"And you are just about sixteen, are you not? Your ages aren't too far apart, idiot." I decided now was a good a time as any to make my way away from Cross and Allen. I wanted to point out I'd be fourteen in November, but I sighed instead.

"I'm not sure what that was about, Fuyuyuki, but I'm pretty sure stuff like that will happen a lot around here." The golem nodded, understanding. I smiled, and walked over to my other friends.

"Ah, come on, Krory-kins!" Lavi was saying, "I thought we told you you're not supposed to eat wasabi on its own!"

"I decided I do not like this thing called wasabi! My tongue…"

"Y'know, most people eat sushi with that." I pointed out. To demonstrate, I took a salmon roll, and put a little wasabi on it. "Too much will over power it, but too little and you don't get the spice that balances it." I pointed out. I also dunked it in a little soy sauce, then offered him the salmon roll. Krory took it, and tried it for himself.

"That is pretty good!" Krory said with glee, "Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Yume Hanazawa." I said holding my hand out to him. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Arystar Krory III. But I'd rather you call me Krory."

"Honor to meet a fellow Exorcist." I said. "I'm meeting so many amazing people. We're all one big family, aren't we?"

"No duh!" Lavi exclaimed, putting an arm around my shoulder. "But it's funny how you're acting like Lenalee with the family stuff." He chuckled.

"What's wrong with that? Before I met everyone it was just me and my brother. Now it's like I have a larger family than what I could have ever dreamed of!"

"Oh, there you are, Yume!" I heard Lenalee's voice say. I turned around to see she was holding a small box. "this is for you, from everyone in the Order." I opened it, seeing it was a coffee mug. Plain and white, but it did have my name on it, on the bottom. For the umpteenth time that night, I was welcomed into the Black Order and to my brand new family. Yes. This was my home, and these people were now family to me.

* * *

><p><strong>Yume: Hanashi-san, Allen, and Lavi are still being chased by Kanda...so I'm going to give you a quick AN myself instead, ne? "Fuyuyuki" (pronounced Foo-u-u-key) is Japanese for "winter snow", and is what the name of my own golem is...so that means now Hanashi-san not only owns me, but also Fuyuyuki too! -bows, then quickly leaves-**

* * *

><p><strong>AN 19.12.11: Hey all! Hanashi here, and I have some troubling news...do to circumstances beyond my control, my flash drive ended up getting a virus, and if I were to plug it into my computer, I'd end up with that said virus for the fifth time this month. *sighs* But try to bear with me here. I swear I'll do what I can to get this matter resolved, and get back to updating, and writing new chapters for you guys to read! I also want to apologize to everyone for this troubling matter. Again, please bear with me, and I hope you'll forgive me for not being able to keep up with my weekly updates. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6: Who I Wish to Protect

**Yume: HANASHI-SAN!**

**Me: What's up?**

**Allen: I think she thought you were dead.**

**Me: Was I? No, not me.**

**Lavi: Well, you were working on other fanfics...**

**Me: Because of an infected flash-drive.**

**Lenalee: Does that mean you got if fixed?**

**Me: No. I just restarted from ch. 5 instead. Why I didn't think of this before, I really don't know...**

**Kanda: Che. Idiot.**

**Me: You chasing me with Mugen wasn't much help either, BaKanda!**

**Lavi: Han-chan's got a point, Yu. And speaking of Han-chan, she's not Katsura Hoshino, and therefore doesn't own us!**

**Yume: If anything else, she takes credit for her own characters, me, and Fuyuyuki!**

**Me: And I think the majority of this plot...happy reading!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6: Who I Wish to Protect<em>

"It had been a good two weeks since that party." I sighed. "Hey, Fuyuyuki, what do you think we should do?" The said golem ruffled its wings, as though it were shrugging. He wasn't sure what to do either. Lavi and Bookman would hauled up in the library doing research, Krory and Allen were off on a mission for god knew how long, and Kanda was on a mission of his own, thus putting our training sessions on hold. I was fairly certain Miranda was lost somewhere, and Lenalee was helping her brother with something. Sighing, I decided on just exploring the grounds.

"Miss Hanazawa?" I turned to see who addressed me. It was a Finder.

"Yes?" I asked, looking up to him.

"Supervisor Komui has wants to speak with you."

"Thank you," I said bowing politely. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"No rush." The Finder kindly told me. "I don't think it was too important." I waved the Finder off, and started towards Komui's office...which had become easier to find since I've had plenty of free time for the last two weeks.

/*/*|*\*\

I knocked on the doors to the Supervisor's office, but receiving no answer. Sighing, I tried again, and alas still getting no response. Curious, pushed the door door only to find it was unlocked. _Really, Komui? I was standing here for five minutes and your door's unlocked? Geez._

Ah, this would explain a few things. Komui was sleeping on his desk. Lavi taught me an interesting way to wake up the older Lee. I'd always wanted to try it out.

"Hey, Komui, did you hear the news? Lenalee's running away with her boyfriend." I whispered in the man's ear.

"NO! LENALEE!" He started crying. Was he really the older brother?

"Komui, don't worry, she's not!" I said, shouting over his complaining.

"My sweet Lenalee isn't going to leave me?"

"Not any time soon, Komui." I said patting his back comfortingly. "She has someone dear to her she wants to protect here."

"Of course...so what brings you here?" He asked getting serious.

"A Finder said you wanted to see me." I told him.

"Oh, right, right. I'll be sending you with Timothy Hearst...assuming he gets here."

"Who's he?"

"Our youngest Exorcist...actually." Komui explained to me. "In fact, you arrived just a few days after we got him."

"Really? Huh."

"WAAAH! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"

"What the-?" I asked seeing a kid rushing into Komui's office. He ended up hiding behind me.

"Ah, Timothy, nice of you to make it here."

"This is Timothy?" I asked staring down at the kid. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"I tried telling her I had a mission to go on, but she wouldn't allow me until I finished my lessons!"

"I see..." Komui said, adjusting his glasses. "I'll have a word with her when I can, for now, let me brief you on your mission. Yume and Timothy, you will be using the Ark to meet up with Noise Marie in Rome. From there, he'll be giving you more on what's going on."

"Yessir!" I said, giving a mock salute.

"And Yume," Komui called after me, before I could take a step further. "This is for you, from Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, and if you can believe it, Kanda. It's a little late, but I'm sure you'll like it nonetheless." He handed me a something long and soft, which I realized was a scarf. The fabric was a light violet color, it was a bit long, much like Lavi's, but Komui's right, I did like it. I wrapped it around my shoulders, have one end in the front and the other in the back. I thanked him, and left to catch up with the younger Exorcist.

"Timothy, if you don't mind me asking, but what exactly did Komui mean by the "Ark"? Are we going there by a boat or something?"

"I forgot, you're new here." Timothy said, his hands behind his head. "No, it's not a boat. I don't really get it myself, but the Ark is this thing that Allen can control. I think it's pretty cool, because it gets us places tons faster. But he can't make...I think doors...yeah he can't make doors to places unless he's already been there."

"Allen controls it? How?"

"Not sure. By the way, how old are you?"

"Older than you." I deadpanned.

"You're like a teenager, aren't you? Why are you so flat?"

"I'm fourteen in three months...it's not my fault I didn't start developing yet."

"Were you born late?"

"I don't thin—hey, why are you asking personal questions anyway?"

"Bored."

"You're like the little brother I'm glad I didn't end up with."

"You're like the older sister I'm proud to not have." Timothy retorted back. "We're here!"

"Timothy, Yume, welcome." We were greeted by Reever, who was jotting a few things on his clipboard. "Marie's waiting for you two at Gate Twelve. Good luck on your mission."

/*/*|*\*\

White washed walls. The whole Ark wasn't what I had expected. To say the least, I was impressed. This looked so much like the southern housings I'd seen in books. I looked at all the buildings amazed by the architectures.

"This is your first time here, isn't it?" Timothy said, looking over his shoulder at me.

"Yeah. On my first mission we took a train...was that because Allen hadn't been to that town?"

"Probably." Timothy said, not really paying attention.

"What kind of Innocence do you have?" Timothy stopped, causing me to nearly bump into him. He turned to me, and removed a head band he was wearing. My eyes widened at what I saw.

"See this? It's my Innocence. If you see an Akuma acting strange, don't attack it. That's me taking over its being." He explained to me, while pointing at the gem in his head.

"You can do that?" I asked, surprised.

"Yup. Soul switching. But you'd have to keep my body safe, because while I'm taking over an Akuma, it'll be lifeless, like a doll."

"I'll keep that information in mind." I promised.

"So what about your Innocence? What kind are you?"

"Not sure." I admitted. "Truth is, I hadn't been able to activate it. But Komui sends me on missions in hopes that it'll activate. It's gone up to 30% so far, so, I guess that's something of an improvement."

"What was it before?"

"Fifteen." I sighed. "I hope it'll let me use it some day soon."

"I heard you can't go on missions unless you're at least at fifty percent." Timothy said.

"Nice." I sighed. "I think I understand why." I said this, while looking at my arm. It wasn't long before we made it to Gate twelve. Timothy opened the door, and we were shown the ancient ruins of Rome. Standing there was a man clad in the uniforms Timothy and I wore.

"I take it you're the ones Komui sent here? It's nice to meet you, I'm Noise Marie, but you can call me Marie."

"Marie. Okay, nice meeting y—wait, you're blind, aren't you?"

"I am." He told me. "But when your sight is gone, your other senses sharpen to make up for it."

"Marie's blind, but you can't really call him handicapped. He can work like a normal person can." Timothy said, as though as it wasn't a big deal. Probably wasn't for anyone else...but this was my first time meeting him.

"Marie, Komui said you'd tell us more on this mission." I said, getting on track.

"I was sent here to meet up with General Froi Tiedoll." Marie began briefing us, "Like Cross Marian is Allen's mentor, I, along with Kanda, and two others were his."

"You sounded sad when you said 'two others'," I said, not missing the tone in his voice.

"Yes, that's so. We used to have another Exorcist named Daisya Barry. A couple of months back, we lost him. He was killed by one of the Noah."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"But about a couple of months after we found Chaoji Han...have you met him yet, Yume?"

"No, but I didn't meet a lot of people yet." I admitted. "I'm always ready to meet new people as I go along. Like I met Timothy a short few hours ago."

"So, where's your General, anyway?" Timothy asked, bored.

"He should be along any moment." Marie assured him. We decided to talk a bit, all the while waiting for the General. From what I learned from Marie, Tiedoll seemed like a nice guy. A little emotional, but he did always care for his pupils. So much so he considered himself their self-proclaimed father. I laughed at that.

"And what might I ask is so funny, Miss?" Startled out of my laughter I turned around to see a man with his frizzy hair tied back. Unlike the red and black uniforms we were wearing his was embroidered in gold. He had a sack consisting of different art tools. Charcoal, pencils, anything.

"General." Marie greeted.

"So...you're General Tiedoll?" I asked, looking at the man. "Uh, nice to meet you, I'm Yume Hanazawa." I bowed showing my respect to him. He's a General after all.

"So you are, I've heard about you from Headquarters. An accommodator who can't really activate her innocence, right?"

"Who else heard of me?"

"Probably everyone." Timothy retorted. I whacked him on his head. "Ouch! What was that for flat board?"

"Respect others, you twit!" I argued back. "And don't call me a flat board!"

"Not my fault you don't have much of a figure for someone your age!"

"Pervert!"

"Oh my..." Tiedoll sighed. "I feel as though I'm dealing with Yu and Daisya again. They fought a lot."

"Come to think of it, I think you and Lavi are the only one's I've heard who calls Kanda by his first name." I said.

"I do consider him like a son to me. As I do for Marie, and Chaoji. And the son I've lost."

"Hey, old man, why don't you just tell us what's going on with our mission." Well, Timothy is a child...

"I'll have to agree, Komui said we were here to meet up with Marie and he'd tell us more on the mission...so what is the mission?"

"In these old ruins there lies Innocence." Marie was the one to explain it. "But I can also here a handful of Akuma withing the premises."

"How many?" Tiedoll asked.

"Twenty. There seem to be level ones, and four level twos...and two level threes."

"How good is your hearing?" I asked confused.

"I can hear things from quite a distance, Yume." Marie said. I nodded, not really surprised for some reason. "Those Akuma will be here soon, you best be careful."

"Of course..." I said, realizing how useless I really was.

"While we take care of these Akuma, we want you to find and retrieve the Innocence...and while you're at it, search for the Finders that were stationed here." Tiedoll said.

"Yessir." I said. "I'll do my best."

I started for the ruins, only to soon hear my comrades and foes engage in battle. I felt tears threatening to fall, but I didn't want to cry out of something I currently couldn't help.

Useless. I can't fight with my friends and comrades, and because of my powerlessness, I couldn't even save the only family I had left. These things weigh more than the weight of the world's problems combined.

I _wanted_ to fight. I _wanted_ to protect. I _didn't_ want to be protected all the time. It was because of me being so weak I couldn't protect anyone I held close. When I became an Exorcist, I decided that I wouldn't be weak. I'd get stronger. And that being said, I swore I would never cry. It would only enforce the fact that I wasn't strong enough to help anyone.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down my racing thoughts. No, I wouldn't dwell over this. I couldn't, not now. There was a mission I had to complete. After about half an hour of searching the ruins, I tripped over something.

"Ex...or...cist...?" No, not something. Some_one_. It was a Finder.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, quickly getting him to a sitting position.

"Fine..." He muttered, clutching an arm I realized wasn't there anymore.

"You're going to die from blood loss...where's your first-aid?" He gestured with head to one of the pillars. "I'll be sure to at least stop the bleeding, okay?" I said quickly retrieving the small box of medical supplies. Once this task was done, I took out the gauze and started wrapping his stub with it, making sure the bleeding was at least slowed.

"Thanks." He breathed. "Why...?"

"Even you Finders are a big help to us as Exorcists. Plus, I don't want to leave you to die when I know I can help you." For the first time he looked up to me, a small smile on his face. This finder was about in his mid twenties. I saw he was crying.

"You're...too nice."

"Funny, my older brother used to say the same thing." I said a small smile creeping up on my own face. "There are some people fighting Akuma outside right now. I was told the Innocence was in here, have you found it?"

"It's over there." He said to me, using his remaining hand to point to a small glowing object. I got up from where I was nursing the Finder, and walked over the object in question. It was a small cube that was encircled by two gears, giving off a green glow.

"So, this is Innocence? This is the first time I've seen it in this state."

"You don't go on many missions, do you?"

"Embarrassingly enough, this is only my second one." There was a sudden rumble, before I realized what happened, the ruins were starting to cave. And the cause? An Akuma...one that its sights set on the Finder I just saved from bleeding to death.

"So there is one left! You'll die now!" It's mechanical voice said. My body acted on its own. I saw the Akuma poised to attack the wounded finder. I saw its tail, full of the poison that would kill you instantly. Instead of it making contact with the Finder, I blocked it, falling the ground.

"Miss Exorcist!" I heard him scream before I blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>It feels so good to be able to write Secret Exorcist again! I want to apologize for having you wait so long for this chapter, and that I'll be back to uploading this every Monday! I've managed to rewrite chapter seven, and I'm in the middle of chapter 8 as we speak!<strong>

**R&R! I would love to hear what you guys are thinking!**


	7. Chapter 7: A Young Girl's Innocence

**Me: Yay!**

**Yume: Hanashi-san, why are you happy?**

**Lavi: I think it's because something interesting is afoot.**

**Me: That's right! Very interesting! (^-^)**

**Kanda: And, what would that be, stupid author?**

**Me: Oi, 'nuf with the insults BaKanda.**

**Lenalee: Kanda, don't fight with Hanashi, and Hanashi, don't pick a fight with Kanda.**

**Me & Kanda: (me)Fine, okay/ (Kanda)Che. Whatever.**

**Allen: Well, if something interesting is going to happen, then maybe everyone should go read it.**

**Lenalee: Oh! And Hanashi isn't Katsura Hoshino, so she has no rights for D. Gray-man.**

**Me: I can only take credit where it counts. That would be my characters Yume and Fuyuyuki, and also the plot for this story!**

**Yume: So, please, enjoy the story!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 7: A Young Girl's Innocence<em>

_ What a fool you are._ A familiar soundless voice tells me._ Why do you go out of your way just to save the life of someone you had just met? What reason do you have to throw away the life your parents gave to you?_

_ I...said it...be...fore,_ I weakly replied, _I can't...turn down any...one who's hurt, and if there's a way I can protect them...I will._

_ Would you also say that to save the souls of Akuma?_ The voice asked me, seemingly amused by the answer.

_ They were human once upon a time too,_ I said, my voice getting stronger as I continued talking, T_heir physical form may no longer be "human", but their souls are...Allen once said he could see the souls of the Akuma. He wanted the souls to be free from their suffering._

_ That is what he wants. What of you? What is your desire?_

_ My desire? I also desire to help those souls too...but I'm unable to...it make me feel useless._

_ You're not useless._

_ Huh?_ When the voice said that, I felt confused. _What do you mean?_

_ Just as I said. You were born with Innocence in your own arm. The gems on your hand is that proof. The markings on your arm comes with it. Do you wish to harness it?_

_ To help my friends defeat the Earl, and to save the Akuma that are trapped within the Earl's clutches._ I said, determination in my eyes._ Will you let me?_

There was a long pause. What seemed like hours, was actually only a few moments before I got my answer; _Very well. I will let you harness the power of your Innocence. But it will be up to you to make it reach its full potential. I will also use my power to heal you from the virus._

"Thank...you..." I breathed, now looking at my right hand. All five gems were now alight. I smiled, and place the said hand over my heart. The gems began glowing brightly. My skin was already a sickly gray, but with the power of my Innocence, the virus was gone. I looked up to the Akuma who attacked us.

"What? You're alive?" The Akuma asked. I realized it was a level two. It sort of reminded me a snake and a hippopotamus. "I guess that means I'll have to try to kill you again!" I looked over my shoulder first, to make sure the Finder I protected was still alive. He was.

"How did you survive the attack?" He asked me. I looked at my torn uniform, understanding why he was surprised. It came too close to my heart. But the wound wasn't there anymore. Weird.

"I may not be able to see the souls of Akuma like Allen can," I began, feeling the Innocence in my arm reacting, something warm was dripping from under the crystals. "But even still, I still want to save the soul that resides within your disgusting form."

I soon felt something slithering down my arm. I realized it was the tattoo-like markings on my arm. They moved to my hand, where I held on to it, becoming the hilt that the blood was now connecting itself with. Yes, the blade was being made of my blood. This dried and hardened until it had somehow become black. It was a midnight-black sword. Nothing like Kanda's Mugen, mind you. Though this appearance was also a katana. I, myself, was the scabbard for it. It felt as though it was telling me how to use it...what attacks it could use.

"MISS EXORCIST!" The finder shouted as the level two came right at me. My body seemed to act on its own again. I dodged the blow before it could hit me.

"You're existence is abnormal." I said when I landed on a new perch. How I'd gotten so high, I wasn't really sure. Was it my activated Innocence's doing? "With *Ketsueki's power, I will bring your soul the salvation it deserves." I didn't name it that. The Innocence told me it was its name. Pretty ironic, really. "Blood Cross!" I exclaimed while drawing a cross in the air, which was stained red as though I'd sliced the wind itself. With another swing of my blade, I sent the cross towards the Akuma at an unbelievable speed. The next thing I knew, it was screeching from the attack. It exploded after that.

"Miss Exorcist...I owe you my life. Thank you."

"You don't have to call me 'Miss Exorcist', okay? You can just call me Yume." I said, giving him a smile. "By the way, I know it's a little late, but what's your name?"

"Micheal." He answered. "I'm actually newer here, and there's already another Finder with that name, so please, call me Mikey. Everyone else seems to."

"Pleasure." I said.

"Yume!" I heard the unmistakable voice of Tiedoll exclaiming. "Where's the level two?"

"Yume destroyed it." Mikey said, getting up, but nearly fell over, if not for me catching him. "She saved my life, and I owe her for that."

"I-I didn't do much!" I said feeling embarrassed. "All I really did was tend to his wounds, and then save him from the Akuma that was just about ready to kill us...that's all."

"By the way, how did you survive the attack of the Akuma?" Mikey suddenly asked.

"Well..." I said, unsure how to answer that. Just then, the blade of my sword was being absorbed into my hand, while the tattoos went back up my arm...but they felt different...I ripped the sleeve off my uniform, eyes widened in shock. "What the...?"

"Yume, it's not good manners to tear your clothes like that." Tiedoll warned me. "Are these the markings I heard about?"

"Yes and no." I answered. "They were different before, but these?" How to explain? Well, there were now two bars on my forearm that were as black as the hilt of the katana I held not that long ago. Both were wedged between small bars which encircled that part of my arm itself. I realized were the parts that helped combine the hilt together. It was the same on my lower arm. There was still that strange curved line on my shoulder joint, which I assumed was the guard.

"I'll have to ask Komui when I get back to headquarters." Tiedoll decided. "Come now, we can't have my daughter indisposed like this."

"Did I hear what I think I heard?" I heard Marie as he entered the ruins.

"Tiedoll becoming Yume's self-proclaimed father? Then, yes. You did hear right." Timothy said, holding back a laugh.

"Last I checked, sir, I'm not your daughter...much less your pupil." I added, feeling confused.

"I think he just might've grown fond of you, Yume." Marie offered. "Best be getting used to it." From the torn sleeve in my hand, I realized it was moving. I dropped it, allowing a pissed-off silver golem to emerge from where it was hiding.

"You were in my sleeve this whole time?" I asked Fuyuyuki. It bobbed up and down as though it were saying 'yes'. "Figures."

"Now, Yume, did you bring spare clothes?"

"No...but I did find the Innocence!" I said, taking it out of my pocket. A warming smile made its way on Tiedoll's face. "This is my first time seeing it in its original state."

"So it is." Tiedoll said, taking the Innocence fragment. "Marie, why don't you return this to headquarters. Timothy, you go with him."

"What about me?" I asked, wondering why the General wished for me to stay behind.

"We'll catch up with them, I just want to know something. Mikey, the Finder you saved, said you healed yourself when the Akuma's poison was injected into you."

"My Innocence did it." I said. "It said I could use its power, but it would have to be alone to unlock its full potential."

"Where would you say your synchro-rate is?"

"Last time Hevlaska said it was thirty percent." I admitted, "I get the feeling it went up more since then though."

"Well then, we'll have to check once we get back...and did you really defeat the level two so easily?"

"I guess so...that's the first Akuma I ever destroyed."

"The fact you managed to destroy a level two when you only found out about your Innocence means you may have great potential to the Order." Tiedoll explained to me. "They'll start assigning harder missions for you."

"I'd be damned if they gave me one too easy." I admitted. "Not that I wouldn't mind the easier ones..."

"Of course." Tiedoll smiled. "Come, I'm pretty sure Marie and Timothy are waiting." I felt movement on my head, and quickly raised my arm to the perpetrator. When had Fuyuyuki settled on my head? Strange little silver golem.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: *Ketsueki = I **_think_** it's another way of saying blood. And thus is the name for Yume's Innocence. **

—**Keep in mind, I use Google Translate, so I'm not really sure how accurate it is...so, yeah (I like the feature where you can click the characters to change 'em, really it's awesome!)**

**-Ahem- SO! What'd'ya think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please, let me know! Reviews are welcome! Don't neglect the review button, you'll make it cry! R&R for the button's sake!**


	8. Chapter 8: First Solo Mission

**Yume: Allen, have you seen Hanashi-san anywhere?**

**Allen: No...I haven't.**

**Yume: Lavi?**

**Lavi: Can't say I have, Yu-Yu...oh! I remember now! She's using the Order's library right now to do some homework.**

**Kanda: Homework?**

**Lenalee: Well, she is in college.**

**Yume: Come to think of it, why is she doing it now?**

**Everyone: . . .she was procrastinating.**

**Kanda: Stupid author doesn't own D. Gray-man, so she doesn't own us.**

**Yume: She does take credit for me and Fuyuyuki, and any possible OC that may appear in this fanfic! And I'm sure Hanashi-san would want you to enjoy this chapter too!**

**Lenalee: And that she also owns this story's plot! Please, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter<em> 8: First Solo Mission<em>

Just days after my assignment in Rome, I was in one of the training rooms, deciding to train with my Innocence. I thought I'd get better, being Kanda would most likely want to start training with it when he got back. Before I could begin, however, I heard Komui calling for me.

"Yume, I've been rather busy, and I think I should see your Innocence. You can activate it now, right?"

"I can...uh, Supervisor, don't you have forest loads of paperwork to do?"

"Don't worry, Yume, I left Sir Komlin to—eh?" There was an explosion and the next thing I knew I was face to face with an over-sized robot.

"What...the hell...is that?" I said, not sure what I was seeing. "Wait, is it wearing a hat?"

"Of course! It's Komlin's charm point!"

"I'm not too good with robotics...but I think it's broken..." I said backing up inch by inch. Something told me that the lens wasn't supposed to be glowing a dangerous red...nor was it supposed to be sparking like it was.

"Target sited. Exorcist Yume Hanazawa, you are first priority for surgery."

"Funny, I'm getting a strange sense of déjà vu..." Komui chuckled. I saw nothing funny about this for some reason. Out of my shirt sleeve came my golem, through it was Reever's voice.

"Yume! Yume, are you still female?"

"Yea—hey, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Thank god. Yume, we need you to get away from that robot as soon as possible!" Someone else shouted.

"Don't turn into a dude!" I heard another Science Section person cry.

"Stay as you are, Yume!"

"Would you guys shut up! She's still a she, so don't get your panties in a bunch!" Reever told his colleagues. "Yume, we need you to quickly as you possibly can get to the Science section on the double!" I didn't need to be told twice. I flew as soon as I saw those robotics arms just about ready to grab me.

"Fuyuyuki, let's go! Now!" I screamed, starting my mad-dash towards the said Science Section. The silver golem did what it could to keep up with my pace. "Reever, what is that thing, and why is it chasing me for?"

"It's a Sir Komlin XI, don't worry though, we have a fool proof plan to save you!" I mentally asked what ever happened to Komlins one through ten.

"It sounds like you've been through this all before, Johnny." I said to the voice that had responded to my question for Reever. I could mentally see the glint on Johnny's crazy looking glasses.

"Please do!" I half begged to anyone who was on the receiver.

"Okay, No. 65 will guide you to where you need to go!" I heard Reever tell me.

"Thanks!" I said. Seeing the white blob thing that could only be No. 65. The number on his face was a dead giveaway, now that I think of it...he pointed me in the right direction. After running for how ever long it was, I soon came to the destination.

"Yume! Nice of you to join us!" Reever called to me.

"I get the...feeling this happ...ened once before." I said, still feeling the blood pulsing in my ears.

"Yeah...which is probably why we know what to do this time around." Reever said, holding a strange looking device. There was a beam, and the thing was blown out of Reever's grasp. "What the hell, Komui!"

"I might've included a self defense mechanism this time around..." Komlin was right behind me.

_Ah, for the love of all things still sane! _"Ketsueki, activate!" Faster than anyone could say 'whoa', my weapon materialized before the eyes of everyone here. "Blood Cross!" The robot didn't see this coming, and was thus rendered to scraps. Amen.

"Holy...Yume, that's your Innocence?" Reever asked amazed by my display.

"Yup." I said, deactivating it. Once more the blade melted and returned to my gems, and the markings returned to their new original places.

"It's got to be parasitic." Johnny said. "Right?"

"I don't think so...she doesn't harbor the same appetite as most..." Another scientist said.

"But technically its her blood, isn't it? She can change its form at will!"

"Parasitic users have larger appetites, I don't think she's one of them. But she's not an equipment user either...do you think?"

"Okay, enough, you're making Yume feel more like a lab rat." Komui said, breaking up the debate. "But I have to agree, that is rather interesting...despite the tragic loss of Komlin..."

"What the Section Leader is trying to say, after seeing your Innocence—"

"Ketsueki."

"—we have come to be—wait, what?"

"Ketsueki. That's the name my Innocence goes by."

"Alright. After seeing your Ketsueki, we believe that you may either be parasitic, or possibly an incomplete form of the Crystal-type Innocence."

"So...you guys will basically debating on what type I am?"

"That's the gist of it, apparently..." Komui explained, "oh, and Yume, I'm going to send you off on your first solo mission. This is a mission you alone can uphold...you'll find out why when we get to my office." A mission only I could do? Wasn't any other Exorcist just as good for a job as I was? Curious as I was, I decided to follow the crazed-though-now-calmed-down scientist to his office.

/*/*|*\*\

"Tell me, are you, by any chance familiar with a man named Daisuke Hanazawa?" My eyes instantly shot up to Komui, when he mentioned that name. "Judging by your reaction, I think the answer is 'yes'. What do you know about him, Yume?"

"He's...my brother." I said, my shock not leaving my face. "But as far as I'm aware, he was killed by the Akuma that attacked my home months ago...why would you bring him up?"

"I think you should take a look at this." He handed me a manilla folder, and I quickly looked through its contents. I read over them again, and again, almost like I wished what I read was an error.

"K-Komui...some of these articles...they're all a week after I left home...are you saying...no, you can't possibly mean..."

"Daisuke Hanazawa is a Noah." A new voice said. I turned my gaze to an older man, who I assumed had high authority here. Beside him was a younger man with blonde hair, tied in a braid.

The older man seemed to be in his mid-forties, or early fifties. The way he looked at me made me feel like the rat that was cornered by the snake. He had a strange mustache thingy, that didn't go any farther than either side of the base of his nose. He scared me.

The one next to him was less intimidating. He had two mole-like marks on his forehead, that were vertical of each other. Even though he seemed less intimidating than the man he stood by, he seemed to be an uptight kind of person.

"Yume, this man is Malcolm C. Leverrier." Komui sighed, gesturing towards the older man. Then he did the same for the younger, "This is—"

"Inspector Howard Link." The younger, who introduced himself as Howard Link, finished. "Being we will be professional, you're to address me as Link. Do I make myself clear, Miss Hanazawa?"

"Uh, yessir..." I said. "I just have a question, Komui."

"I think I know what you want to ask. We only found out about it ourselves, truth be told. For as far as you had known, your brother, Daisuke Hanazawa was dead. But we've been getting reports on activity about one Noah in particular calling himself such a name. Your mission is to see for yourself if this man really is who he says he is. Sadly we have no photos of the Noah in question, so it's going to be up to you. This is why I said this is a mission only you can do. You are not to engage in battle, if one is in pursue, I want you to retreat. You're far from ready to be able to take on any from the Noah Clan. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." I said. "If this Noah really is my brother...then what am I supposed to do though?"

"Report back. We don't know where he is as of now, but the last place we heard from him was on the outskirts of Beijing. This mission will be a long term mission, your train leaves at 0600 hours tomorrow." Understanding my mission, I quickly left the room, only to be followed by Link.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked, when his footsteps wouldn't fade.

"I've been away in Central for a while, and now I must take up my duties in surveying Allen Walker." when he said this, I stopped in my tracks, Link passing me for a few steps before he stopped and looked back to me. "Something the matter, Miss Hanazawa?"

"What do you mean...surveying Allen?"

"Just as I had mentioned." Link said. "My job is to watch over Walker 24/7, and record if there are any changes in him."

"But why would he need to be stalked?"

"I'm not stalking him." The inspector said. "No one's told you yet, have they?"

"Told me what?"

"Tell me, Miss Hanazawa, have you heard of the Fourteenth Noah?"

"The only Noah I've come in contact with, and live to tell the tale was Tyki Mikk." I deadpanned. "I haven't met any others."

"This 'Tyki Mikk' character you speak of isn't the only Noah you've met, Miss Hanazawa. There's a high chance your brother could be a Noah himself. But you've already met the assumed Fourteenth Noah himself."

"What the hell are you getting at?" I asked, not out of anger, but out of confusion and fear.

"The reason I watch over Mr. Walker is because he carries the Fourteenth's memories. He's the said Fourteenth Noah, Miss Hanazawa." If I had been carrying something at this moment, aside from the folder, I would've dropped everything on the floor.

"No...there's no way Allen's one of them...he would die before joining the Noah!"

"I'm aware." Link said. "Since I started my surveillance, I've gotten to know Mr. Walker rather well. He would rather take his own life, before the Fourteenth would be able to take full control over him. He's often fighting to keep the Fourteenth at bay. It's also because of the Fourteenth's memories that Allen Walker can control the Ark."

"If you know he won't become a Noah anytime soon, then why...?"

"Because of the Fourteenth's memories residing in Walker, that Central wants me to keep an eye on him. At the sign of him becoming a Noah, it'll be my obligation to resort to restraining him."

"Link..." I said, thinking to what Leverrier said about my brother, "if it's proven true that Daisuke is in fact a Noah...would there be a chance that they'd..."

"So long as you show that you are loyal to the Black Order, then I'm certain you have nothing to worry about." I inhaled then exhaled.

"I'm going to the training room." I decided, making my way to the said room. We separated ways, which I was thankful for, because now I had a lot to think about.

/*/*|*\*\

The events of yesterday weighed heavily on my mind. I sat alone in the first class car, all the while my assigned Finder was outside the cabin. Yesterday, I had trained a little, rested up, and then packed a suitcase for my travels. Fuyuyuki was perched on my head, and this was the third train I'd boarded through out this trip. I missed the train yesterday, so I had to wait until today. Tomorrow I'd be in Beijing. I read over the mission report, so that I was certain I didn't miss anything.

_Mission Report:_

_ There has been attacks in Romania, Germany, parts of Russia, and most recently China. All these attacks were of Akuma, to all were seen taking orders from an unknown Noah. Up until his appearance in the city of Beijing , he had only given his name as the newly appointed Noah of Wrath. It is now known, he's given name is Daisuke Hanazawa. We, of Central, decided that Exorcist Yume Hanazawa will take on this mission by herself._

_ The mission is as follows: Investigate for yourself to get a better understanding of the newly appointed Noah of Wrath, Daisuke Hanazawa. You are not to engage in battle, rather report back any and all findings of this new enemy..._

I stopped reading after that. If my brother really was alive after all this time, then I knew it would be hard not to confront him...and if he really was a Noah, like Leverrier claimed, then what? Up until now, I'd always thought that Dai was dead. I didn't know what to think.

"Exorcist Hanazawa?" I heard the Finder outside, "Exorcist Hanazawa, are you well? You've been quiet for some time now."

"I'm fine...just lost in my thoughts." I admitted. It wasn't technically a lie. But it wasn't the full truth either. The Finder stayed quiet after that, and the rest of the trip was uneventful.

_Nii-san, if you are alive, why didn't you let me know? Why didn't you try to find me after we were attacked? More importantly, why are you on the Earl's side? That means we'd be enemies if or when we meet, right? I don't know what to do...Nii-san...I'm so confused right now._ These thoughts filled my head as the train continued on to its destination. To China, where he was last seen.

/*/*|*\*\

By the end of the next day the Finder and I made it to Beijing with little or no problems. I picked up my suitcase, and held it over my shoulder. Not really something a young lady should do, but I'd picked it up from from Allen when he'd put his bag behind his own shoulder, while he left for his latest mission.

"Okay, let's split up," I suggested, "We'll ask around to see if anyone's seen a man either calling himself 'The Noah of Wrath', or Daisuke Hanazawa, okay?"

"Of course, Exorcist Hanazawa." We'd cover more ground that way, and truth is, I didn't actually like this Finder too much. He was too formal. My Chinese wasn't too good, but then again, Lenalee taught me the amount I'd probably need to know in the future. I'm thankful she did. I was also thankful for being a really quick learner. I'd spent the whole day asking around, but no one seemed to want to answer. It was getting late, so I decided on heading back to the hotel the Finder and I were staying at.

"Any luck?" I asked, feeling pooped. "I sure didn't."

"It appears that we have no way of gaining information from them." The Finder said. "We should try again tomorrow."

"Yeah..." I halfheartedly agreed. "probably." That night I dreamt of my past.

_ It was the months before the Akuma came to attack us. I had just turned twelve. Daisuke was with me, looking down at me, ruffling my hair for something I'd done that pleased him. Though what it was, I couldn't recall. Dai had to go work, so I was left alone most of the time. This was also around the time the strange cat started to stop by our little home._

_ "*Kon'nichiwa, kanari koneko wa, ushinawa rete imasu ka?" I asked it. Of course, I didn't expect an answer, so I decided to cautiously approach the critter. It looked at me with the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen on a cat. It leaped at me, and startled, I fell back, just as it landed on me. It rubbed its head against my chest, as though greeting me. Hesitant at first, I started stroking the soft black fur, my reward was a soft purring from the animal. I remember that cat very well. It had a strange pattern on his forehead, almost like a cross. My stroking the cat caused it to soon fall asleep in my lap. It was the middle of the day, and everything seemed so peaceful. Carefully, I picked up the cat, and moved our position to the sakura tree sitting under its welcoming shade. It wasn't long before I finally fell asleep myself._

_ "*Yū-Yū... Sore wa koko ni nemutte iru koto ga kenkōde wa arimasen, anata wa kazewohiku yo." I heard my brother tell me. But not really caring, I rolled over, unaware that a certain black cat had long since left. Dai sighed, and picked me up, taking me into the house, where he laid me down to bed. In my mind, I could picture his smiling face as he looked at me while I slept._

_ The dream moved on, and now we were down to the week before the Akuma attacked. Daisuke was working, and I was in the backyard, wondering if the cat would come again. It'd been two weeks since I'd last seen it. I'd even given her a nickname. I must've fell asleep, because I heard the soft meowing of a cat, trying to wake me up._

_ "*E? Ā, ohayōgozaimasu... Watashi wa anata ga futatabi konai to omotte ita..." I murmured, absentmindedly stroking the silky fur. "Yoku nani demo. Ruru, okaeri." It meowed in response, almost as if she was saying, '*Modotte kite ureshī.'._

_ There were even times where Lulu often overstayed her visits, not that I minded, her company was always welcome. Daisuke saw her only once or twice, but even he had welcomed her._

_ The scene changes again. It's the hours before our home was attacked, and Lulu was strangely tugging at my kimono. I didn't always wear one, but we were supposed to go see our mother's grave that day. This was hers when she was my age. So it was very special to me. Daisuke was distant from me for the past few days, and every time I'd try getting to him, he simply pushed me away. I didn't like it. Then just an hour before we were to leave, there were sudden gun shots, and I saw my brother had taken a bullet from the monsters I now know are Akuma..._

"Nii-san, no!" I screamed, waking up in cold sweat. "Just a dream, just a dream," I started chanting to myself. The spaghetti strap on my right shoulder was hanging limply on my forearm. I held my knees close to me, as though they would comfort me. Had it of really been a normal dream, I'd of forgotten it. No, this was a memory. A memory that lead on to the last time I was home. One that would haunt me until my final days. With this in mind, I cried.

/*/*|*\*\

Nearly two weeks had gone by, and there was still no luck in getting lead so I finally decided that drawing a picture might help a little, just in case. I was looking at the now crinkled scrap of paper, when a little girl confronted me. What surprised me was that she was speaking English fluently, despite that she was Chinese herself, and had lived here her whole life.

"You're saying you've seen this person?" I asked her, feeling a sense of relief and fear.

"Yeah, I did. He said I looked a lot like his little sister back home. So he had actually mistaken me for her." I could understand why. Our hair was similar, though hers was cut, and shades lighter than mine. Her eyes were chocolate brown, rather than the dark cobalt that mine were. She was also much paler than I was, almost as though she were ill. "I asked him about her."

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked about his sister, and he said he hadn't seen her since his home was attacked months ago. He said he doesn't know if she's still alive or not. He was nice enough to stay with me for a while, and while we were talking, he actually said where he was planning to go."

"Where would that be?"

"Uh...Bulgaria." She answered. "Which is weird, because a lot of monsters have been attacking there lately—wait, you're not going there are you?" Her voice suddenly changed to fear when she saw the look on my face.

"I have to." I said. "Don't worry though, I'm stronger than I look, those monsters will have too much trouble even hurting me."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Well, I could activate my Innocence now, so it wasn't too big a problem...at least, I hoped it wasn't. Sighing, I bid my farewells to the girl, and went to find the Finder...this was going to be a long mission. I decided.

* * *

><p><strong>Yume: Well, I think I should tell you what was being said, alright?<strong>

* **Kon'nichiwa, kanari koneko wa, ushinawa rete imasu ka? = Hello, pretty kitten, are you lost?**

*** Yū-Yū... Sore wa koko ni nemutte iru koto ga kenkōde wa arimasen, anata wa kazewohiku yo. = Yu-Yu...it's not healthy to be sleeping out here, you'll catch a cold.**

*** E? Ā, ohayōgozaimasu... Watashi wa anata ga futatabi konai to omotte ita... / Yoku nani demo. Ruru, okaeri.**** = Huh? Oh, good morning...I thought you weren't coming again... / Well, whatever. Lulu, welcome back**

*** Modotte kite ureshī. = Glad to be back.**

* * *

><p><strong>Kanda: Che. Being she's not here, and not that I give a damn, I'm sure she would want you to leave a damn review.<strong>

**Lavi: Aw, Yu! You do care!**

**Kanda: You're asking to die, rabbit? -unsheathes Mugen-**

**Yume & Lenalee: . . .**

**Allen: Well...you guys do what you do, and we'll try to stop Kanda from making rabbit stew out of Lavi. See you next week! And hopefully we'll have Hanashi with us!**

**-At the Order's Library-**

**Me: ACHOO! -thinking: why do I get the feeling I'm being talked about? Whatever...I hope they're not killing each other...-**


	9. Chapter 9: The Search Begins

**Me: Hey everyone! I'm finally back!**

**Lavi: So, Han-chan, did you do well on that test you had last week?**

**Me: ^^; Uh...**

**Yume: You failed miserably, didn't you?**

**Me: -is now in emo corner, sulking-**

**Allen: Th-that bad, huh? -_-;**

**Kanda: Stupid author.**

**Lenalee: Kanda, don't call Hanashi stupid. And speaking of who, she's not's Katsura Hoshino, so she doesn't own anyone from D. Gray-man.**

**Allen: Hanashi only owns Yume, and all other minor OCs that make an appearence in this fanfic.**

**Yume: While we cheer up Hanashi-san, why don't you guys read the story and enjoy, ne?**

**Kanda: What do you mean 'we', kid?**

**Yume: Don't call me a kid!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 9: The Search Begins<em>

"Excuse me, but we'll be arriving soon, Miss." I was told by the conductor while I sat in one of the benches of the car I was in. I thanked him, as I got...or rather, attempted to get, my luggage from the luggage carrier above me. My Finder wasn't with me, having to stay behind to meet up with another Exorcist. No offence, but good riddance.

"Just...a little...more..." I was on my tiptoes trying to reach it.

"Here ya go." Someone said, removing my suitcase from its prison. I turned to look at the person who helped me. No, there wasn't just one person here, but three.

"Thank you." I said, looking at the strangers before me.

"Don't mention it. You seemed like you needed the help." The second guy said.

"Momo, you didn't do anything..." the youngest of the three said.

"Doesn't matter." the man named Momo said. "Eeez, why don't you just take a seat." Not saying another word, the kid took a seat on the bench in front of where I had previously sat.

"Well, now you know, he's Momo, that's Eeez, and I'm Clark." The man, Clark, told me.

"Pleasure." I said, wanting to be polite.

"You getting off here?" Eeez asked me.

"Yeah. I have another train to catch from here." I admitted. "Oh, I'm Yume, by the way." It was only right to give them my name being they gave me theirs.

"Yume? Are you a foreigner?" Momo asked me.

"I used to live in Japan." I answered truthfully. "I live in Europe now though."

"Where from Europe?"

"Here and there. In a sense, I guess you can say I'm a vagabond of sorts." A vagabond, huh? I guess it wasn't too far from the truth. This was my first long-term mission, hence I wouldn't really know when I'd be able to see home again.

"We're about the same." Eeez said, looking in my direction. I hadn't noticed before, but the kid wore a mask over his face. The ones doctors would wear when they were going into surgery. He was clutching something in his hand.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to his clenched fist.

"Ah, you caught Eeez clutching at his little treasure, have you?" Momo asked, realizing what I was asking. "Yeah, Tyki favors Eeez here, he's really a good—hey, something wrong?" My blood ran cold. Tyki. The only Tyki I knew was the Noah that I had encountered, not once, but twice in my life. Both to which I was nearly killed by him. All because of my right arm. But I quickly composed myself, and said;

"No, nothing at all. See while I was traveling, I met a man named Tyki, but he seemed more high class than us." I hoped that my act was working. "Strange world we live in, huh?"

"You met a stingy aristocrat whose name also happens to be Tyki?"

"Yeah. I met him twice, actually." I was surprised how casually I could speak about the man who nearly killed me in the two times we met. "Though both encounters were brief."

"Y'know, our Tyki, he was always somewhat of an oddball. Don't know how, but he'd always get calls to do another job. We actually asked him if he would recommend us, being the pay is good. Last time we saw him, he gave Eeez that little souvenir. Real gold."

"Amazing." I agreed, catching a glimpse of Eeez's small golden treasure. Suddenly I felt ruffling from my left sleeve, and a small ball of silver started flying around the compartment.

"Y'know, I remember a kid who had one of those, only it was gold." Clark said, staring at Fuyuyuki. Gold golem?

"Did the kid have white hair, and a scar on the left side of his face?" I asked.

"That's him!" The two men exclaimed. "How do you know him? He didn't sucker you at poker too, did he?"

"Poker? I'm so—wait, you got suckered by a kid in cards?" I asked questioningly.

"Yeah, he stripped us and Tyki to our underwear. Eeez being a kid, he just watched the events unfold." Momo clarified.

"So, you, Clark and your Tyki got stripped to your underwear in a poker game by a kid only a few years older than I am now?"

"Yeah. So you do know him?"

"I do. But I find it hard to believe he's that evil." I said, trying to imagine Allen cheating, much less even playing poker. He seemed too gentlemanly to play such a game...I wondered if this was one of those 'not what they seem' moments. Probably was, now that I thought of it.

"I swear, that brat was the devil himself when we played him." Clark muttered.

"I already had a feeling they wouldn't win any of those hands." Eeez said speaking up. "I don't think I'd seen them stripped to their boxers in a game before."

"I can't really take your word for it, because I wasn't there, but the next time I see Allen, I'll ask him about."

"There were two others with him...friends of his. We stripped one of them to his own boxers." Momo said with something I was sure was pleasure. Pleasure in humiliating the said sucker. "The chap looked like a vampire, don't you think so?"

"Yup." Eeez said.

"I'd say so." Clark agreed. "There was also this guy with an eye patch, and red hair...but they seemed as shocked as we were when we were going up against that kid—Allen, you said his name was, right?—anyway that Allen kid won the vamp's clothes back, and ended up winning all of our clothes too...save for our boxers." I see. The sucker in question was obviously Krory, and Lavi was with Allen too. Wow.

The four of us talked for a while, until the train came to a complete stop. They remained on board, while I took my leave. Fuyuyuki was following close behind me. "Hey! If you see that Allen kid again, tell him we'd like to play another hand with him some time! But no cheating this time!" Clark called out.

"I'll be sure to tell him!" I shouted back as the train started to leave.

"Bye, Yume!" Eeez shouted back, "I hope we can meet again!"

"Bye Eeez! Bye guys!" I hollered as the train disappeared into the tunnel. When the train was out of site, I sighed. When I thought of it, I was fairly certain that the Tyki I know, and the Tyki they know are both the same guy. It's not a common name, especially here.

"Excuse me, are you Yume Hanazawa?" I was asked by someone. I turned around to see a new Finder, who looked like he was in his early forties. He had a stubble on his face, and wore thick rimmed rectangular glasses. His hood was down, and his hair was midnight-black. His hazel eyes looked as though they'd seen more than his time.

"It depends, who's asking?" I asked, staring at the Finder in question.

"I'm Johnathan, I was contacted to meet you here and help you on your mission."

"Pleasure. So, what do you know about my mission in general?" I was testing him. Just in case he wasn't who he said he was. Face it, I don't have an eye like Allen...not that it works for Noah...so either way, I'd be in trouble.

"I was informed from headquarters that you are to search for a man who is believed to have ties to you. A Noah saying he is the one who now has Noah's wrath."

"Okay, you pass." I said. "Did you receive any new information I should know about?"

"Sadly, no."

"We're heading to Bulgaria. C'mon, the train's going to leave soon." I said. While we were walking to the next train, I looked at the clock, and started running when I saw I only had five minutes to reach the train on time. Johnathan and I made it just as the train left the station. Panting, I solemnly decided I would _never_ do that again.

"I'm too old for this." Johnathan panted between breaths.

"How old are you?" I asked between my own breaths.

"I'm just about old enough to be your grandfather, kid." Didn't see that one coming.

"You can't be any older than your early forties." I deadpanned.

"Looks can be deceiving, sprout." He told me. "I'm sixty-two." Okay, maybe he could be old enough to by my grandfather. Not that I ever met mine. Dai always said that both grandparents disowned our parents, being they were against them marrying each other.

"Sixty-two and still young." I said.

"Alright, sprout, what ever you say."

"Stop calling me sprout..." I half begged. Funny, now I could understand why Allen hated being called beansprout/moyashi, or short stack. Karma really is a bitch...

"I have a son, and a grandchild." Johnathan started telling me as we took our seats.

"Really?"

"Yes. His wife died, I've only met her once. About nine years after Akuma came and attacked him and his son. My grandson died that day just weeks shy of his ninth birthday."

"I'm sorry to hear that...is your son okay?"

"I don't know." Johnathan sighed. "I hadn't seen him in twenty years. I love my son, but I wouldn't be surprised if I met him again as an Akuma. I became a Finder for the Order fifteen years ago."

"A lot of Finders here are here because Akuma attacked their families right?"

"That's the gist of it yes." I wouldn't lie. But talking with Johnathan was probably better than attempting to get a word from the previous Finder...what ever his name was. There were no Akuma attacks on the way to our destination, but even then we'd still have to ask around to see if anyone's seen the man claiming to be two people. One being Noah's Wrath, the other obviously his name given to him at birth.

The train ride lasted a good three days before we finally made it to Belgium. "Well, we're here. Have any ideas?"

"There's a Finder station near here. I'll go check with them to see if any news on the target is recent."

"Okay, you do that. In the mean time, I'll ask around and see what information I can find that way. Let's meet back here by dinner time. So, six?"

"We'll search for five hours then meet back here?" Johnathan asked me, checking his watch.

"We'll find more information that way." I assured him. "Don't worry, I'm really good with directions...unlike a certain white-haired Exorcist." Harsh, I knew that. But it was true. When I first met Allen, we nearly got ourselves lost heading towards the cafeteria. If not for Reever passing by, I'm pretty sure we would've starved...okay so I did get lost too...but I was still new, what was his excuse?

"Very well then, sprout." That being said, we separated to find information regarding none other than the man assumed to be my own brother.

For three hours I was having no luck. That is until I met a man who was looking over my shoulder looking at the drawing I had. "That looks a lot like Kei Hana." startled, I looked behind me to see the man who said that.

"Kei Hana?" I asked confused.

"He's staying at an inn near by, actually...I've seen him."

"Are you sure this 'Key Hana' looks like this?" I asked, pointing at my picture. The man nodded, then gave me directions to where the said man was staying. I politely thanked him, and headed in the direction I was shown. The inn in question...was rather rundown. How it was still standing was a mystery to me.

"Hello little Missy, are you sure you should be here?"

"Did a man by the name 'Kei Hana' stay here by chance?" The innkeeper looked through his logs, and found the name in question.

"Yes, but I'm sorry to say he checked out of here an hour before you got here. He was staying here for two weeks. Paid damn good money too. He looked Asian, much like you."

"What part of Asia?"

"Either Japanese or Chinese. No offence, but you look the same to me." Typical. Everyone always did that...

"Thank you for your time, sir." I said bowing. I took a deep breath as I left the rundown building. I never thought Daisuke would be so evasive. Or I just had crappy timing. "Fuyuyuki, do you think we'll even find Dai?"

I watched the small golem come out from my sleeve, and flick its tail. I guess it was saying it didn't know. "Oh well. We should go meet up with Johnathan soon." This time he nodded, and thus we made our way the meeting point.

/*/*|*\*\

"I already checked that Inn," I admitted, when Johnathan told me the information. "He said he just checked out."

"Sprout, let me tell you something in my sixty-two years, nothing is this coincidental." He told me. "I highly doubt you arrived before he left. It's too well timed." thinking it over...he had a point.

"Are you telling me he was covering up for Dai?" I asked, a little nerved that I'd been tricked so easily.

"Come on, sprout, let's go." Johnathan sighed, pulling me by my scarf as we headed back to the inn I had recently left.

* * *

><p><strong>There's a reason Yume got to meet Momo, Clark, and Eeez! But also because I loved those characters, and Yume had to learn of "Black Allen" some way...^^; anyway, yeah, I have to write more chapters because I was caught up with other fanfics, a part from this one...sorry 'bout that! Anyway, reviews are welcome! So don't neglect the review button! It'll cry if you don't review! R&amp;R Please!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: The Fortuneteller

**Kanda: What the hell took you so long, damn author?**

**Me: IT WASN'T ANY DAMN HELP THAT YOU WERE CHASING ME WITH MUGEN ON FRIDAY!**

**Yume: Hanashi-san, why was Kanda chasing you on Friday?**

**Lavi: She wasn't the only one. He was chasing me and Allen too.**

**Allen: Something from the other fanfic...**

**Yume: Okay then...**

**Lenalee: It doesn't concern you, don't worry, Yume.**

**Lavi: Han-chan isn't Katsura Hoshino, so she doesn't own any of us from D. Gray-man.**

**Me: I can only take credit where it should be taken. Yume, Fuyuyuki, and the OCs you will most likely never see again belong to me. OH, and the plot of this story too!**

**Yume: We hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10: The Fortuneteller<em>

This time Johnathan went into the Inn on his own, all the while I stayed outside, waiting for him. I was scared, truth be told. But I didn't know why. Everyone around me, they all seemed to be suspicious in one way or another. But I couldn't pin-point as to why. I noticed a group of guys talking, a little to close together. I saw other people looking at me when they thought I didn't noticed.

Call me paranoid, but something wasn't adding up for me. Aside from the aforementioned people, there really weren't any others out and about. I saw that most people had their shutters closed, and more still had wary looks. What was going on?

"Hey, big sister!" I looked to the right where I heard a little girl's voice. She seemed innocent. Almost too innocent, I realized. Without realizing it, I ended up activating my Innocence, just in time for the girl to show me her true form. Level one Akuma.

"Damn!" I exclaimed, jumping out of the way just as the bullets were shot. "Ketsueki, activate! *Unmei o fukō!" If aware of Kanda's '_Hell's Insects_' move, then it's similar to how this move was released. But instead of monster-like illusions, this one was actually a single being that could be called upon from the netherworld, I guess is accurate.

It took the appearance of either a young man or a young female, though it's impossible to tell. It was a spirit that Ketsueki was able to summon and grant a swift demise to Akuma, unlike the soul whose fate in death was painful and slow. Again, this was just something Ketsueki 'told' me, like the first time I ever activated it. The spirit didn't hesitate, as its suddenly sharpened claws for nails attacked the Akuma, leaving nothing but the dust that came with it. The spirit soon disappeared, as though it was never there.

"Johnathan!" I called from where I stood, Ketsueki still in my hand. "I think we should get going! Now!" No answer. There was a knot in my stomach. I came to realize he'd been in there for a good two hours now. But I also came to realize that I wasn't alone. More Akuma made their presence known. Perfect. Twenty to one. Just amazing odds, no? There were fourteen level ones, and the rest were level twos. "Blood Cross!" I exclaimed, slicing the air, and once again creating creating the cross that multiplied and managed to get all the Akuma. I fell to my knees, exhausted.

/*/*|*\*\

About two hours later, I was alone, and totally lost. Where was I supposed to go? If anything I was a little angered when I found out that Johnathan was killed by the man who was actually an Akuma. Times like this, I envied Allen. At least he knew who and who wasn't an Akuma. Well, no use in crying over spilled milk. I prayed for Johnathan's soul to rest in peace.

"Hey, Fuyuyuki," I asked my Golem while walking. He looked to me, a look of curiosity on its nonexistent face. "What should we do now? Do you think we should call Headquarters?"

Nod.

"I'll need a phone." I decided. I came across an old inn one which I learned was supporting of the Order. It was getting dark, and I needed to sleep, so I guess I got off pretty lucky in this case.

"Yes, hello?" I heard the voice of Komui say.

"Hey, it's me." I sighed.

"Yume? Have you found the Noah?"

"No, I'm just reporting in. I did have a lead towards where the assumed Noah is, but it seems that it was a dead end. The Finder accompanying me was killed."

"Johnathan was?" Komui asked, "That's a shame, he's one of our oldest Finders. Best, in fact. By the way, Yume, where are you?"

"I'm in a town somewhere in Bulgaria." I admitted. "Why?"

"Nothing, nothing. We did get more leads on where Daisuke is."

"Did you now?" I sighed. I began absentmindedly stroking the feathers of Fuyuyuki's white fluffy wings. He seemed to like it. "Komui, what if my brother really is a Noah? I like living with everyone in the Black Order..."

"You're fearful that him being a Noah will cause you to seem like a traitor, am I right?"

"Y-yeah." I admitted sadly. "How'd you know?"

"I ran into Link while he was searching for Allen the other day. We did have a discussion and you came up, Yume."

"I see. Komui?"

"Yes?"

"Can I have that lead now?"

/*/*|*\*\

At this point in my travels I'd become fourteen years of age. I just wished I could've celebrated it with my friends, rather than being on this damn mission. I hadn't checked in with Headquarters since last month, but that had mostly to do with the lack of phones. I was now somewhere in Asia, and the area I was in was so hot! Asia. The place my country is, even if it is on the sea.

"What I would give for water, and a nice cool bath." I complained to Fuyuyuki. Said Golem floated around, probably bored. "Do you think we're near any town yet?"

No answer. Typical. I wondered if it were possible to have a Golem that could talk...maybe that way I could have a conversation. Sighing again, I continued walking.

About three hours later, I felt Fuyuyuki tugging at my hair. "What's up?" I asked, no longer able to keep my eyes opened. Using his tail, my Golem pointed at a town just ahead.

"Town? There's a town!" I exclaimed, feeling energy I had so long ago lost. I ran, while Fuyuyuki held on to my jacket, as I raced to the town that promised food, temporary shelter, and what I hoped was a bath of some sort.

/*/*|*\*\

"Oh, are you an Exorcist?" I was asked by an old woman. I nodded, as she offered me some water. "You're no younger than those young-in's we had here a few months back."

"There were others here before?"

"Indeed there were." She said fondly. "Although, the uniforms were much different...when did they change them?"

"Actually, I wouldn't know. I've only been in the Order for a couple of months." I admitted. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You know, we have a girl your age who was supposed to become what you are, dear child."

"Supposed to?" I asked.

"Yes, maybe you could visit her. She was our fortuneteller once. She still has those visions, though not because of what those Exorcists called 'Innocence'." Curiosity got the better of me, as I thanked the old woman and started towards the direction to where the girl was.

/*/*|*\*\

"Uh, hello?" I asked through the doors. "I...heard that there was someone here who could foresee the future..." Truthfully, I wasn't sure why I wanted to see the fortuneteller, maybe it was some strange force or something, or maybe I was hoping to find out about something. Who knew? The door opened a crack, revealing an old man he stared at me questionably, but allowed me in.

"Uh, I heard that there was a girl here who was said to foresee events..." I said, trailing off.

"Are you friends with those Exorcists who were here months ago?"

"I know a few Exorcists, but I don't know which were here a few months ago. I've only become an Exorcist a short few months ago."

"Well, they were very helpful to our village. What is the reason you want to meet my grandchild?"

"I'm not sure, really. In all honestly, I just felt as though I have to meet her." I answered after trying to think of something more logical.

"You were drawn here." I heard a younger voice say. "It's been happening a lot, truthfully." I looked behind the old man to see a young girl who was probably no older than I was now. "Who may you be?" She had short brown hair, and Chinese styled clothing. I must be close to China then, I realized.

"I'm Yume Hanazawa." I said, bowing. "Are you the fortuneteller I heard about?"

"I am. I'm Mei-Ling, I've already been expecting you to come, actually."

"If you saw me coming...does that mean you know why I'm here? I keep trying to think of a reason, but I keep coming up blank..."

"You want to find the man who is your brother." She stated before I could finish. My eyes wide, I couldn't find words to speak. "But there's something I wish to ask of you."

"What?"

"Miss Yume, what if I told you that the one you seek passed through here not three days ago?" With this newly found information, I was speechless.

"Nii-san...passed through here?" Was all I could get out.

* * *

><p><strong>*Unmei o fukō = misfortunate fate<strong>

**Well, then...I didn't mean to kill off Johnathan like that...I know you're not a real-life person, but rest in peace, I guess. Anyway...I'm sorry if I didn't upload this in the morning like I would normally do. See, I'm working on a bunch of other fanfics too, and frankly I got so wrapped up in one, I realized too late that I didn't finish chapter 10 of this one! Can you forgive this young and inspiring fanfiction author? -puppy dog eyes-**

**Anyway, I hope you like this story so far, and I know I'm rambling, I'll stop soon, but first things first! You know that little review button down there? Use it to nag me so that I don't neglect the fanfics I already have on FF .net! (yes, I am giving you permission to nag me to get my chapters done!) But also be sure to tell me how I'm doing so far! So R&R! and don't forget to nag me to get my chapters done!**


	11. Chapter 11: Future

**Lavi: Oi, isn't this chapter a little short here, Han-chan?**

**Me: I know. But don't worry, it's supposed to be like that! (^-^)**

**Yume: I have to agree with Lavi, Hanashi-san...this chapter is much shorter than normal.**

**Kanda: Shorter than the short stack.**

**Allen: I'm not a short stack! And my name is Allen!**

**Kanda: Short. Stack.**

**Me: ...well, do to day light savings, my brain thinks it's still an hour eariler...**

**Lenalee: Hour behind? You should be in bed.**

**Me: ^^;**

**Lenalee: Hanashi doesn't own anyone from D. Gray-man, so she has no rights owning us.**

**Yume: She only owns me and Fuyuyuki, as well as the minor OCs that you see...oh, and the majority of this plot!**

**Me: Enjoy reading all!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 11: Future<em>

Mei-Ling was a nice girl. We weren't too far in age, even though, she was just a kid. She escorted me inside, and we sat at a small table facing each other. "The man's name was in fact Daisuke Hanazawa." She told me.

"So, it really is my brother." I sighed. "But I want to make sure. What did he look like?"

"He was tall, black hair that was tied at the nape of his neck, and eyes much like yours. When I saw him, he was dressed in a tux jacket, which wasn't buttoned, and a white dress shirt that was untucked. I remember he was wearing slacks and dress shoes too."

"Did he have a mark on his neck?"

"He did. It looked like a small cross." Yeah, that was Dai alright.

"Th-that's him. Why did he come through here?" I wasn't liking where our conversation was going. But nonetheless, I needed to know. Even if it would kill me.

"He came here the same reason you did. You both seemed to have been pulled here by an unseen force. Both to which led you to me, it seems."

"Did...you tell him his fortune too?"

"I did. I saw. His future is so very grim. Full of despair and loss. The path he is walking on will soon be painted with the blood of innocent people, mixed with the many times his soul dies."

"Nii-san is?"

"Yes." Mei told me. "Yours, is somewhat of the same. The path you're walking on will soon be covered in blood. Not by your hand, mind you, but by the hand of the man you are chasing."

"I know. But the truth is, Daisuke might as well be my enemy if I find him."

"Enemy?"

"There's a chance he's a Noah. I'm an Exorcist, and we're automatically enemies." I explained.

"I couldn't tell because of the uniform, but you're an Exorcist, aren't you?"

"I am."

"I had the chance to be one myself." Mei-Ling said, looking at the table. "I used to have a crystal ball, to which had Innocence that allowed me to see the future."

"The future?" I asked, in disbelief. "You're serious?"

"I am. But, there was something else I saw, that I failed to mention to Lenalee and the others."

"You know Lenalee?" I asked, my face lighting up at her name.

"I do. She's the one who helped me decide I should be an Exorcist. She's very kind, and she comforted me when a Noah destroyed my Innocence."

"Mei-Ling, if your Innocence was destroyed, then how are you still able to see these events?"

"It's a good question, Miss Yume—"

"You can just call me Yume, we're honestly not that far in age difference." I assured her.

"Alright. Well, it's a good question, Yume. I have a theory regarding that. I think I might've been more in touch with my Innocence that its power might've run off on me."

"That's pretty cool." I admitted. "But getting back on topic, what did you see that you didn't tell Lenalee and the others?"

"It was an image I saw before I met them. Before I had that terrifying vision of them getting hurt badly. My crystal ball showed me two siblings. Both were heading down a path that would submerge them into a darkness that neither would be able to escape. One gets bound, and the other searches for the light. But whether they do or not, I don't know. I thought nothing of it before, but then you came here, and I realize now that perhaps it was something I should've shared with them."

"Somehow, I think it's for the best," I assured her, "I was told that Allen was called the 'Destroyer of Time'," I continued on, recalling what I was once told, "when I came to the order, I was deemed a Creator, though truth is, I don't know what that could mean."

"There's a saying," Mei-Ling said, "it goes 'what is destroyed can be recreated', perhaps what your destined for is much more than what your thinking of."

"You're young, yet you're oddly very wise, Mei-Ling." I pointed out. She smiled, a little blush forming on her face. "But even if you were to recreate something that has been destroyed, it won't be the same...not exactly."

"I suppose so. But if its something like bonds, even if they're destroyed, you can remake them, and they'll be much stronger." She said with a soft smile. "Yume." The tone in her voice was so grave now...I almost didn't realize she was addressing me.

"Is something wrong?"

"Are you sure you still wish to see your brother?" She asked me, all seriousness in her eyes.

"Yes and no." I admitted after a while. "The truth is, I'm afraid. I'm not supposed to engage with him, but if our paths do cross again, and I don't doubt they will, I don't know if I could still call him 'Nii-san', or if he truly is my enemy."

"What about your heart?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked curious.

"When I was younger, my grandfather told me that sometimes its best to follow your heart, rather than what people tell you. Because there are times where they may be wrong, and your heart would be right." Those words Mei-Ling told me, I'd never forget them. "When you do get reunited with your brother, you'll have to let your heart decide whether or not he can still be considered your brother."

"Thanks." I said. "Thanks so much, Mei-Ling."

"As to where he went, he never told me. But I did see him in a dream I had. He sinking, Yume."

"Sinking?"

"Into the darkness that is his heart."

* * *

><p><strong>Duh-duh-duh! In case your wondering, no I didn't run out of time writing this chapter, and I did mean it when i said it's supposed to be short. Any longer and I'd be spoiling too much as to what's going on in the future chapters!<strong>

**SO! Do you like what you're reading? Do you hate it? Or is it "meh"? Let me know, by clicking that lonely review button! It wants your attention! Don't neglect the poor thing!~ R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion

**Yume: I have one question, Hanashi-san...**

**Me: You want to know when you're going to find your brother?**

**Yume: Is the question that obvious?**

**Lavi: Some how, I think that's what everyone wants to know.**

**Kanda: Che.**

**Me: Well, as you guys are aware, there's a three month time skip, and we can't have Yu-Yu here finding Dai right off the bat!**

**Yume: Don't call me that!**

**Me: Party pooper.**

**Lenalee: Well, she has a point, though. Yume you can't find your brother right off the bat.**

**Me: And for those of you who hadn't noticed for this chapter, I have used the second to last updated chapter of D. Gray-man! Mostly because I had to...**

**Kanda: This idiot of an author doesn't own D. Gray-man, and that means she isn't Katsura Hoshino. The brat isn't even Japanese.**

**Me: Anyway, the only things I own is this fanfic, and my beloved children that can only be my OCs! Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 12: Unexpected Reunion<em>

For three months, I found myself wandering. Lost in my thoughts. I was vaguely aware of Fuyuyuki fluttering around me. It felt like I had the whole world on my shoulders, and the weight was going to crush me until there was nothing left...

..-_Flashback_-..

_ Shock was all that was on my face, when Mei-Ling told me this. "Sinking into...darkness?"_

_ "He's fighting it, Yume. But I regret to say, he's fighting a losing battle." No way... "If you really want to know, I fear that the next time you two meet, things aren't going to be well. The rate he's being consumed...I've never seen something like it." I could see the truthfulness in her eyes. It was this way I knew she was telling me the truth. It scared me. My hands were clenched into fists, on my side, shaking with an emotion I was unfamiliar with. Rage? Hopelessness? I didn't know._

_ "Then that means the Noah in him is going to take over, isn't it?" Even though I knew what she told me was in fact the truth, I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. "No...he's the only family I have left! H-he can't leave me alone! Not again!"_

_ "I'm sorry, Yume." She said, embracing me, I hadn't realized I was crying. When was the last time I cried like this? I hugged the other girl tightly, needing the warmth and comfort of another. My sobs never let up, but through them, I heard her say something else,"But the future isn't set in stone...maybe there's a way you can save him." I backed away, looking at her, my eyes still full of tears. What Mei-Ling said...she was right. No matter how bad or even good a future may be, it wasn't set in stone. It could be changed. Without realizing it, those words would become the hope I needed to go on._

_ But currently, the fact remained: I didn't want to lose the only blood relative I had left on this Earth. "Perhaps, that's what you being a Creator means."_

_ "Maybe..." I had answered. But the fact was...I wasn't sure of anything at that time anymore. And a growing unease was only growing as I left the village Mei-Ling lived._

..-_End Flashback_-..

"My life is totally messed up." I bitterly stated. I hadn't made contact with Headquarters for weeks, and I was sure something wasn't right...why was I feeling so uneasy? Well...it was how Komui sounded on the phone. Something was bothering him, I asked what was wrong, but he said it was nothing. I wanted to know how everyone was doing, and the answer? Well he'd just say something came up, and would hang up. That didn't help with my uneasiness.

At some point, I found myself in a town somewhere in London. Fuyuyuki started tugging on my hair, and I yelped when I was about to ask what was his problem. Until I saw someone...no, make that two someone_s_. I blinked once. Twice. Three times, but it was definite. I was seeing Kanda and Johnny. They noticed me...well, Johnny did.

"Yume!" He shouted, when he saw me. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same for you." I pointed out. "Johnny, what's going on...and what's wrong with Kanda?" I noticed Kanda didn't have the normal sheath he would normally put Mugen in. It was wrapped in some tan fabric, with rope keeping it tied. He also wore a coat over his uniform, though still bearing the Rose Cross.

"Uh...hangover." Johnny admitted.

"He's been...drinking?"

"Yeah, but I have the cure!" Johnny pulled out a vial, labeled; 'Koumin X'. If that crap was anything like that robot that wanted to turn me into a male, then it couldn't be good.

"Hell no." Kanda said, when he reached us...when did he get up? "You remember what happened the last time that stuff was used."

"What happened?"

"Ah...funny story there, Yume..." Johnny ended up going into a full blown story of what happened while they were packing up to move to the current HQ...Kanda and Lavi became chibi, Allen's long hair, Krory acting like a legitimate vampire...and the ghost that lived in the Order without them knowing...and how someone named Bak Chan had to fix everything up. Whoever he is.

"I'm not drinking that." Kanda deadpanned. "That crap caused us more damn trouble than it was worth." He ended up knocking the vial out of Johnny's hands, and it rolled away. He chased after it, right into a crowd. Now that couldn't be good.

"We should go after him." I suggested to Kanda. He rolled his eyes, and did as was bidden. I was first to reach Johnny.

"*Jonī, anata wa daijōbudesu?" I ended up looking to where Johnny's gaze was. It was a clown. "*E? Piero?" There was...something familiar about the clown, though I couldn't put my finger on it...

"What a beautiful clown..."

"Beautiful?" Well, I thought the clown's movements were. I realized the said clown was holding out a hat. "Johnny, I think he wants money."

"Huh? I, just wait...crap, where's my..."

"Hey! What are you two doing?" We both looked up to Kanda, who finally made it through this crowd. He saw the clown, but it looked like he wanted to murder him...I felt a killing aura, and judging by the clown, I think he did too. The ground started trembling, and all of a sudden, many Akuma made their presence known, causing the clown to get swallowed by it.

"Ketsueki, activate!" I shouted at the same time Kanda activated Mugen. We both started towards the clown's aid, when something I wasn't expecting happened. I saw...but that couldn't be right! "Crowned...Clown?" My eyes were wide.

"We found Allen!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Found Allen? Never mind, you both have _so_ much explaining to do, understand?" The older Exorcist and the scientist both flinched, most likely realizing I had no knowledge what happened.

"I'm sorry, I've given such a scary performance." I heard Allen the clown say. I watched as he allowed a little girl, one that I didn't notice who had got caught in that mess, smile and run to her mother. No sooner did the girl leave with her mother, Johnny glomped Allen, overjoyed to see the white-haired boy again. However, said boy didn't smile when he was embraced by the other.

Sighing, he removed Johnny from him, and started to make a run for it...though his efforts were futile. Kanda had caught him by Crown Clown's hood. He was then tripped, and pinned on the ground, Kanda straddling his hips, preventing the white-haired boy from escaping. "Johnny, give me something to wash this stuff off of his face." Johnny started to scour the bag he had with him, taking out a towel. I watched as Kanda scrubbed the clown makeup off the boy's face, (really hard, judging by Allen's complaining, and squirming) revealing to us the face of none other than Allen Walker himself. "It seems you hadn't turned into the Fourteenth yet, huh? Then answer one thing for me."

"Will someone tell me what's going on now?" I asked pinching the bridge of my nose.

"That CROW...how come Howard Link died?" Kanda asked, snapping me into shock. When he didn't answer, Kanda continued, not breaking eye contact with the younger male, "I heard the gist of what happened from Lenalee and the others, that's the only thing I don't understand. Who killed him? Was it you? Or was it the Noah?" Shock was evident on his face. I, myself, was too shocked to do, much less say anything. Before anyone could say anything, the ground below us opened, and we were attacked by Akuma.

"Crown Clown!" He shouted, as his left arm once more became the broadsword I had seen on my first mission with him and Lenalee. Akuma were being destroyed, and Kanda had gotten Johnny somewhere safe. He soon joined the battle, activating Mugen, that was now different from when I saw it last...

"When!" Allen shouted at the same time I'd asked; "Why?" Both Allen and I exclaimed. In unison we both asked; "When did Link die?"

"Tell me!" He shouted, just as I reactivated Ketsueki, joining the fight. But not before I vaguely heard Johnny.

"You didn't kill him?" Johnny was getting teary-eyed. "I knew it! The one that killed the inspector wasn't Allen!"

"Johnny, just explain already!" I shouted, after defeating one of the many Akuma being thrown at us.

"It was soon after you got our of prison, Allen!"

"Prison?" I cried out, "What the hell did he do for that?"

"Leverrier and the guards that were chasing after you found his body." Snake-eyes did? The battle kept raging on, as we managed to disembowel more Akuma. But no matter how many we destroyed, more kept replacing them...it was like bees being attracted to honey!

It was when I thought that, Allen had suddenly used his Crown Belt move to get away from our fight. "Short stack!" Kanda called out.

"Wait! Allen, where are you going?" Johnny exclaimed, watching as we once again lost track of Allen.

"Allen! Get back here!" I called at the same time I heard Kanda say; "Damn it short stack, hold up!"

"That bastard!" He said out of frustration.

"Kanda! The Akuma Gates!" I exclaimed, seeing them all closing.

"We're going after him. Johnny, brat, let's go!"

"Would it kill you to at least call me by my last name?" I asked, glaring at Kanda. I'd already deactivated Ketsueki, and was helping Johnny with both his and Allen's suit cases.

"Hey, to hell with those!"

"Eh?"

/*/*|*\*\

"Damn it! Where the hell did that bastard go of too?" Kanda asked, when we lost track of our target. I nearly bumped into him when he suddenly stopped.

"Kanda, what's up?" I asked, a little shaken up at how close I was to crashing into the elder Exorcist.

"Chasing after someone..." Johnny was panting, "in a...huge town...like this puts us at a disadvantage, huh?" I looked over to him, and saw he was searching for something.

"Johnny?" I asked, watching him.

"Ah! Found it!"

"What's with the fluff-ball?" I asked, watching as he threw it to the sky.

"Isn't that a wireless Golem?" Kanda inquired, I saw the vein throb on his temple. "The Order's going to catch on to us! Speaking of, brat, turn off Fuyuyuki."

"Eh? But he hates being turned off!" I complained.

"Do it now."

"Stingy." I sighed. I pulled the said Golem out of my pressing the center gem, watching as he turned off. "Forgive me, you can have some chocolate later." I promised.

"Chocolate?"

"He loves it." I shrugged. "It's his favorite food."

"Anyway, you guys have nothing to worry about." Johnny said. "Unlike Fuyuyuki and the standardized Golems in the Order, this is something I made on my own. It won't communicate to with the Order's Golems, nor with it be found."

"Quick question: why would you make something like that?" I asked.

"See...I made it to prevent Allen from getting lost...hey, remember when I was hugging Allen?"

"I remember." I said, recalling what happened moments before. "Wait, you bugged him!" I said, realizing what Johnny was getting at. "You're good."

"Thank you." Johnny smiled, "Oh, and Yume, don't worry. We'll find Allen, and then I promise we'll tell you all that happened. You only have bits and pieces of the story."

"You better keep that promise. I'm really sick of being in the dark right now." We all followed the Golem Johnny made, following it to where ever Allen was.

It didn't take long to find him. He was clutching his left arm, but it also looked like he was staring at something we couldn't see...just then, an Akuma gate opened right under him.

"ALLEN!" Johnny and I screamed, just as Kanda went into action.

"Che...what are you doing spacing out like tha—"

"Allen!" Johnny shouted again, running to the teen, be close behind. He tripped, and nearly took me wit him. I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at the younger male.

"Allen...?" I asked, before rushing to him. "Allen, are you alright?"

"Don't touch me!" He exclaimed, hitting my hand away. My eyes widened, as I held on to my hand. It hurt. Not the physical pain, but emotionally. His glare turned to Kanda, and he seemed angered. "Kanda, I really don't get you. I was really happy that you're alive, but what about Alma? Weren't he and you finally free?"

"Who—?" I was about to ask, but was interrupted by Allen's continuing rant.

"Despite that...why...why are you wearing the Order's clothes?" Allen continued, "Why are your throwing away your hard-won freedom?" He was grasped by his costume, so that he was face to face with Kanda. I watched from where I sat, I hadn't realized Johnny was beside me now.

"Even if it's you, I swore I'd take this to my deathbed without telling a single soul." Kanda said as calmly as he was able, "you gave that to us. Those last moments with Alma belonged to me, and me alone. _That's_ the very proof that he and I are free."

I said nothing, just watching the scene before me. We all saw Allen tearing up. I think that was the first time he cried...and it wasn't long before I felt tears in my own eyes. Johnny too, apparently. "Why the hell are you two crying too?" Kanda asked of us, pissed off.

"I-I don't know..." I said, when the tears wouldn't stop. "Th-they just keep fall—" It was then my tears came to an abrupt stop, as I saw Allen lose his consciousness. "ALLEN!"

"What the...that's the wound from when I stabbed him with Mugen!"

"*E? Kanda? Anata wa nanideshita ka?" Realizing I once again spoke my mother tongue, I quickly calmed myself down, and tried to speak again. I would really have to do something about speaking Japanese for every little thing that gets my emotions to overreact. "Kanda, I know Allen gets on your nerves, but I honestly didn't think you'd actually slice him through with Mugen."

While we argued, Johnny was quick to check up on Allen's condition. "Does it hurt, Allen? Let me take a look." I noticed Kanda made quick contact with his sword, looking out, as though searching for someone.

"Kanda?" I asked.

"Th-this is...!" At Johnny's sudden reaction, both Kanda and I looked at what was so shocking.

"What the?" I asked, never seeing something like this before. "What's...going on?"

"It's the wound from Mugen." Kanda answered. Crap, I thought he was joking when he said he stabbed Allen. I saw that the wound was covered with a white feathery substance, that I could only conclude was...

"Those feathers are Innocence." I voiced my thoughts.

"I see," Johnny said. "Yume, this was supposed to be a mortal wound."

"EH!"

"At the North American Branch, when Allen didn't die from the wound inflicted on him from Kanda, it wasn't because of the Fourteenth's awakening.

"I'm still lost, but continue, please."

"No one told you about this, obviously, but long before you came here, there was another time something like this happened. While he and his teammates were searching for Cross Marian, Tyki Mikk used a Tease to put a hole in his heart—"

"WHAT?" Kanda put a hand over my mouth to shut me up.

"Kid, you're seriously too loud. Shut up and listen."

"Well, anyway, the Innocence preserved Allen's life, and protected the wound until he had completely healed. When he was confined, none of us from the Science Department couldn't see him even once. I highly doubt Leverrier was unaware of this phenomena."

"So you think it was kept a secret?" I asked, removing Kanda's hand from my mouth.

"If it were, then why? Why would it be kept from everyone?" Johnny asked, what I assumed was probably himself. "If we had known...we definitely would have done something about it!"

"Kanda, Johnny..." I started speaking slowly, "I've seen it before, but now I want to make sure on something..."

"It's about the larger scar." He said it so bluntly. "It happened when we picked up that little twerp of an Exorcist. It was in Paris, and yes, short stack's blade only inflicts damage on those who have dark matter. Such beings are Akuma, and the Noah."

"Allen...got wounded by it..." I breathed. At some point, I found myself sitting beside the younger of the older teens. I placed my hand over the wound, feeling how it differed from the rest of his chest.

"Hey, Yume," Johnny asked suddenly. "I'm curious to know, but how do you feel about Allen?" My face grew warm as I quickly jerked my hand away from his scar, holding my said appendage, as though it would run away.

"W-what do you mean? He's a good friend, a-and l-like a brother...like you, and Kanda!"

"Che. So, I'm like a brother?"

"_Like_ a brother. You can't call me Yu-Yu." I deadpanned.

"And you can't call me Yu." Kanda shrugged.

"Name one time I actually called you by your given name, Kanda." I challenged. "Hmm?"

"You never did." Kanda said, hitting Johnny with the hilt of Mugen. "We best find a place to rest."

"Right." I agreed. Johnny picked up Allen piggy-bag, and we were about to follow when more Akuma came. "Personally, I'm rather impressed we had this much time before they started attacking again." I point out. Really, that was rather impeccable timing.

"Che. Wait a second. Let me take care of this."

* * *

><p><strong>Ne, ne! What' was being said? Well, let's translate!~<strong>

*** Jonī, anata wa daijōbudesu? = Johnny, are you okay?**

*** E? Piero? = Eh? A clown?**

*** E? Kanda? Anata wa nanideshita ka? = Eh? Kanda? You did what?**

* * *

><p><strong>Hehehe. Yup, ended up catching up with the manga after all, BUT after this chapter it's going to be what my imagination comes up with! Hey, I almost have chapter 13 done, if you can believe it! I already have a vague idea as to what's going to happen in the FOURTEENTH chapter...-insert evil laugh here-<strong>

**Secret Exorcist has come a long way, hasn't it? I have wonderful reviewers, and I'm also glad you guys take the time to read this for those who come across it! This is by far one of my favorite stories that I had ever started righting!~ There are more chapters coming soon, and I hope everyone will stay with me until the bitter end! (actually I'm not sure how it will end...it's a suprise for me too!)**

**R&R! The review button has cookies! Any cookie you want! Just click it! Go on!**


	13. Chapter 13: Feelings of Young Hearts

**Me: Oh...my...god!**

**Yume: Hanashi-san?**

**Lavi: Y'know, I think she might be flabbergasted about that little fluffy scene she put in there.**

**Me: (^/./^) Cute and innocent fluff. Nothing hardcore (like what I wrote for 'Leaving Yu', and 'How?') but a nice fluffy moment between Allen and Yume!~**

**Allen: (O/./o) W-we...almost...**

**Yume: (-/./o) I-I know...**

**Lenalee: I thought it was cute!~**

**Me: Thank you, Lenalee!**

**Kanda: Che. This bratty author doesn't own D. Gray-man. Or any of us from the series.**

**Me: I can only take credit where it counts! That's Yume, Fuyuyuki, and any minor OC you see in this fanfic!**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 13: Feelings of Young Hearts<em>

It was now late at night when we finally managed to find a place to sleep. We were currently in a motel. Although I got my own room, I didn't want to be far away from Allen at the moment. I was worried. There was also the fact I needed to know as to what was going on for the last three months.

"...and that's how we got here." Johnny explained to me. I nodded understanding. I had already turned Fuyuyuki back on, who was pouting in a corner for being turned off like that. I hadn't realized how big Timcampy was since the last time I saw him. He seemed to be teasing my Golem. Tim was like a big brother for Fuyuyuki, now that I thought of it.

"I had no clue all that happened." I sighed, staring at Allen's sleeping form. "I heard from Link that Allen was the host for the Fourteenth..." Allen's skin was still that ashen color that all the Noah sported. It also looked as though he was fighting a fever. Earlier, when I had first entered the room, Johnny was attempting to wake up the younger. He was reading Cross's debt, and let's just say...I don't wanna know how high those numbers would get.

No matter what he read, Allen remained unconscious, and it was around that time I entered, when he was giving his hypothesis. That Allen wasn't in any normal sleep. Kanda had left soon after, but I entered the room nonetheless. "Hey, Johnny, what kind of Innocence do you think I have?"

"Parasitic versus the incomplete crystal?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, I've seen it plenty of times, Yume, but no matter how I look at it, I don't think it's decided. See, up until we found out about Lenalee's crystal-type Innocence, there had only been two. One being equip, the other is parasitic. The crystal-type is the evolved form of the equipment-type."

"Is that why Mugen looks different now?"

"You noticed that, did you? Yes, Kanda became a crystal-type user, much like Lenalee. So now we have two on record."

"Interesting." I said. "Didn't really see Kanda wielding that type."

"Che. And what's wrong with what type I currently wield?" Startled out of our discussion, I turned around to see Kanda standing in the door way...but he wasn't alone.

"Link!" Johnny and I both exclaimed upon seeing him.

"Miss Hanazawa. Mr. Gill." We were greeted by a ghost of our past. "It appears you've been well. And what of my charge, Allen Walker?"

"He's fighting the Fourteenth." I said. "No matter what we do, we can't wake him up."

"I see."

"Link, I honestly thought you were dead...that's what I heard from Kanda and Johnny...what happened?"

"That, is for another time, Miss Hanazawa."

"Does Leverrier know you're still alive?"

"He does. My death was staged to better see what the 14th is up to."

"I told you already, Link." I said, my tone darkening, "Allen Walker would rather die, than let the 14th take over. I may not have a photographic memory like Lavi—" saying the red-haired teen's name made me flinch, because Johnny had told me that he and Bookman were kidnapped by the Noah. Neither he, nor anyone else from HQ knew if they were still alive or not, and needless to say, I was worried about that hyperactive rabbit, and the ancient panda. I actually missed him calling me 'Yu-Yu'!— "but I do remember that you agreed with that statement of mine."

"That I have." Link agreed. "I don't deny it. I know Walker well enough to know that fact. I've witness plenty a time how he'd fight the Noah back, every time he were to have close calls with him."

"Hey, Link, is it alright if I ask you something?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong. But I do want to know why you _really _had your death staged."

"I'm sorry to inform you, but it is not in my power to tell you."

"I guess I'll just find out some other time then." I sighed. I decided to sit next to Allen's sleeping form, moving his hair from his face.

"Yume?" Johnny asked. I didn't need to turn around to know he was looking at me.

"Guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Allen...is that okay?"

"Like I'd care." Kanda muttered. I heard three sets of footsteps before the door finally closed behind them. I smiled, happy they were giving me time with the unconscious teen. I first gathered my thoughts, before I finally got around to getting out what I wanted to say.

"Hey, Allen...Johnny once asked me how I felt about you," I began, "I was in my room for a an hour, thinking about it...the one next door to this one, I mean, and something occurred to me...you helped me out on more than one occasion...on my first mission, you saved me from that Akuma, and Tyki Mikk.

"You helped me find my way when I was lost in the Order. I also remember how you got flustered when General Cross suggested I was your girlfriend. Even though you're older than I am, I'd subconsciously thought; 'he's so cute...'. I guess my feelings might've started to create that foundation from that point, without me knowing it.

"It was you who made me realize how much we're alike...we both don't remember our parents, we both lost the only family we once had. Both of us were born with Innocence within us, and it seems...I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to admit this...but Allen, I...really like you. Not as a friend, not even as a brother as I once thought...I think...it's something more...

"I guess I sound rather childish putting it that way...but it's how I feel about you, Allen." I was holding his hand by then, gently squeezing it. What I didn't expect was for the said hand to squeeze back. I was already looking down to the hand in mine, and from there, my eyes followed it the arm it was connected to, the shoulder, neck, a mouth that was smiling, and then sliver eyes that were looking at me. No longer was his skin ashen gray. It was back to that pale color I know and love.

"By the way, there was one other time I helped you out, Yume." Allen said, a tired smile on his face. Weary as it was, it was still a genuine smile. "I'm the one who found you outside the Order, and placed you in the infirmary."

"You did that?"

"Well, I couldn't leave you out there in the cold." Allen said. "By the way, you said you thought I was cute?" Just when I thought I'd seen the end of that blush of mine, it seemed to come back tenfold. "I'm going to be honest with you. When I first saw you, passed out just at the Order's front door, I thought: 'she's had it rough...but she shouldn't have been able to make it here', that's how I knew there must've been something special about you. When you were peacefully sleeping, after getting treated, I think maybe it was your sleeping face that might've triggered an urge to protect you."

"Huh? But, you said when first officially met that you hadn't been able to visit."

"I tended to you until Matron got there. I asked her not to tell anyone." Allen said, sitting up, though hurting himself a little.

The hand I wasn't holding, his left one, was lifted so that it would caress my cheek. It felt surprisingly warm. When I first saw it, I didn't think so. Just from the way it looked, I'd assumed it'd feel colder...like stone in the fall. No, it didn't. It was as warm as my own hand. Neither one of us were actually aware of how close we were until...

"I've had enough of this love fest." Kanda said, barging in. Allen and I promptly jerked away.

"K-Kanda-nii-san!" At the same time I said that, Allen ended up saying; "L-love-fest?" While blushing as much as I was. Kanda seemed rather amused by our reactions. But it was quickly brushed off as though it was never there.

"Please don't tell me you were listening this whole time..." I half begged.

"Well, you were talking your heart out, kid." Kanda shrugged, sitting on the couch.

"Curiosity killed the cat, moron." I said, through clenched teeth.

"But satisfaction brought it back." Kanda pointed out. A smirk on his face.

"W-what are you talking about?" No answer from the samurai. I pouted when I realized I'd never know what he meant. Bastard.

"Allen, it's nice to have you awake again...but what happened while you were asleep?" Johnny asked, not wanting to be left out of this. I wondered where Link went off to...

"I was...actually speaking with Neah."

"Who?" Johnny and I ask in confusion.

"Neah was Mana's brother...he's the fourteenth."

"What did he say?"

"There's a time and place for that, but I'm sorry to say, here and now isn't it." Allen explained. "All I can tell you is that he did try to take me over, and he almost succeeded this time."

"Almost?" Johnny and I both asked.

"Yeah. But there's a reason he didn't...and I don't know whether to be relieved or worried."

"How so?"

"He...may or may not have heard what you said while speaking with me...by the way, you thought I was cute?"

"You...heard what...I...said?" Suddenly, my feet looked rather interesting to look at. My eyes hidden by my bangs, I hoped it'd be enough to hide away my embarrassment.

"Che. Damn kids." Kanda muttered. This didn't help my blush anymore. Five minutes felt a lot like a few hours right now. Each second dragged on, and on, until...

"Yume, thank you." My head snapped up after Allen suddenly broke the long silence between the three of us.

"Why are you thanking me for?"

"Like I saved you from Tyki Mikk, you saved me from Neah. Thank you, Yume." No sooner were those words said, things started going downhill.

* * *

><p><strong>What? I gave you a cliffie? Whoops...(^./^) SO, what did you guys think about that moment between Allen and Yume? I never actually wrote something like that before, so please tell me how I did! Hey, do you think I should have Yume continuing to call Kanda 'Kanda-nii-san'? (O.o)**

**Well, anyway, please, R&R! The fourteenth chapter will be here before you know it!~ And I find it funny how this is going the way I want it...now if you excuse me, I have to write out the next chapter...wish me luck!~**


	14. Chapter 14: The 14th Apostle

**Me: Woo-hoo! I finished this chapter yesterday!**

**Yume: Yesterday?**

**Kanda: . . .**

**Lavi: Uh, okay then.**

**Lenalee: You're...rather chipper, aren't you?**

**Me: Maybe a little. ^^; I'm just glad I got it done, and I'm also glad to say I'm working on chapter 15 -victory pose-**

**Allen: Uh...in case you didn't know by now, Hanashi doesn't own D. Gray-man, nor anyone who comes from it.**

**Yume: She only owns me, and other OCs that may make appearences in the fanfic...so, please enjoy!~**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 14: The 14th Apostle, The Musician<em>

My eyes were wide when Allen starting clutching at his head. Once more I watched, as his skin was somewhere between the usual paleness I was so fond of, to something close to the skin tone that I've seen before on the Noah. If that wasn't bad enough, stigma were forcing their presence to be known. "ALLEN!" I screamed.

"Heh," What the hell? When his eyes looked into mine, I didn't see the moonlight eyes staring back.

"A-Allen?" I asked, knowing full well I wasn't speaking with him.

"What the hell did you do to short stack?" Kanda demanded. The golden eyes shifted their gaze to Kanda, who already had Mugen out and ready.

"I did nothing." Allen's voice said. If you listened close enough you hear another voice...older, if you will. "He was still weak from before, and I simply took the chance."

"You're Neah." I said, remembering what Allen told us. "A Noah."

"Indeed, I am." Neah said, getting up, and decided on leaning against a wall that was closest to me. I turned to face him, eying him with distrust. "The Fourteenth Apostle, The Musician, and controller of the Ark." He continued, like he wasn't in a room that was full of his enemies. "Don't give me that look. I'm not fighting any of you. I'm merely here to negotiate. After that, I'll let him take control once more."

"Negotiate?" Kanda asked, "What the hell do you want from us?"

"We merely want the same thing." Neah said, shrugging...his (Or are they Allen's?) shoulders. "We both want the Earl to...I believe the phrase you use would be 'bite the dust'?"

"Why would you want the Earl dead?" I asked, glaring up to the man who had taken control over Allen's body. "You're a Noah, why don't you side with them?"

"I believe Cross said that there was a third side to this war?"

"I wouldn't know." I said skeptically. Judging by Kanda and Johnny's reaction, they seemed to have the same knowledge I did. "What's this 'third side' you speak of?"

"In do time." Neah said, now playing with some tresses of white hair. _Allen_'s white hair. I mentally reminded myself. He then released them, and moved from his spot on the wall. He was gone in an instant, but soon after, I felt arms around my waist, and a chin resting on my right shoulder. I stiffened, knowing that Noah could destroy Innocence. "So tense." He said.

"Let go of me." I said, disliking the man more and more.

"But it's not I who is touching you. It's your beloved, Allen." Neah said, a smirk growing on his face. A pink tinge dusted my face, and I managed to get out of his grip, but losing my scarf in the process. But I was a good distance away. Looking to my right, I was near Kanda. But then I turned my attention back to the enemy, who was still holding the scarf I was given from my friends. He held it in his hand, inhaling the scent left behind on it.

"It's curious. Such a sweet girl, yet you have been pulled into a war you barely understand. The same goes for the rest of you. Do you know why you fight?"

"I only fight to destroy the Akuma. It's my job." Kanda said it as though it were rehearsed.

"That's _what_ you're fighting. But do you know _why_?" At this we were all silent. What was the real reason we were fighting? "As I thought. You're fighting blindly in this war."

"Blindly?" Both Johnny and asked. "What do you mean?"

"Just as I said." He threw my scarf at me, and I caught it on instinct. Fuyuyuki and Timcanpy were fluttering around, almost as though they were trying to figure out what to do. "You fight this war, but you don't know why. From what I can tell, all you Exorcists are blindly following orders."

I looked to the scarf my that was given to me by the friends I've made at the Order. "More than meets the eye."

"What was that?" Neah asked, hands behind his head.

"There's more than meets the eye in this war." I said loud enough for the other three to hear. "Neah, what do you know?"

"I see I might've won you over then." He said. "But I cannot tell anyone anything if the aren't willing to side with me."

"Don't get me wrong." I said, my voice grave, "I'm not on your side. I know you want to get rid of the current Earl, and become the new Millennium Earl. I don't know your motives, and being you're a Noah, there's a chance you just might double cross us."

"You've thought this through." Neah said approvingly. "I can understand why my own adoptive nephew would be so fond of you." I blushed at that remark.

"Nephew?" Kanda asked.

"I am the boy's father's brother." Neah shrugged like it was no big deal. "Such a good boy. Mana had raised him well."

"Why do you want to be the Millennium Earl?" Johnny spoke up, looking at the Noah with the same amount of trust a mouse would have for a cat.

"I have my reasons. The Earl is nothing more than a puppet being controlled by his own madness. Just like the Order is controlled by the strings of their so-called god."

"The Order?" I asked.

"Indeed." Was the reply. "Now, tell me something, if we both wish the Earl to meet his demise, then why not take sides with me? Yume, isn't it? What if I told you I may know where your brother is?" In that moment, it felt as though my heart was trying to hammer a hole in my chest.

"M-my brother?" I asked, staring at the Noah. "Y-you know my brother?"

"Not personally." Neah shrugged. "But I have sensed his presence. I believe the Earl has yet to find him. If you're able to find him first, then perhaps we can have another ally on our side." I couldn't believe it...if Neah said he had seen my brother, and the Earl hadn't found him yet, then Daisuke just might ally himself with...

"But then you know my brother is a Noah." I pointed out. "He's the only family I have left that shares the same blood as me. Are you planning on killing him after you've killed the rest of the Noah?" "There's a way to kill the Noah, and keep your brother." He further explained. "The twat's Innocence can actually do that."

"What?"

"We're aware of that." Kanda said, glaring daggers at the Noah. "If you really have seen the brat's brother, then tell us where he is, then we'll talk about negotiations."

"There's a cross on my brother's neck. If you've seen it, tell me where on his neck it is." I challenged. My brother's cross was a tattoo that he had gotten when he was thirteen. I don't know why he would though. Never would find out.

"A cross." Neah said almost in thought. "Ah, yes, yes. I remember now. I actually saw him for a brief instant where I took control over Allen. Even as a Noah, I'm rather surprised that it was the fisrt thing I took noticed. He was much like my nephew...fighting the Noah within him."

"The cross, damn Noah." Kanda threatened. "What did the god damn cross look like?"

"Very detailed, it was on the center right of his neck. But from where I was, it was near impossible to see what designs it had on it."

"Pass." I sighed. "He really did see Dai." I said, relief flooding through me. "Kanda-nii-san, we have to find my brother."

"What did you mean he was like Allen?" Johnny asked, interrupting what Kanda was about say.

"So that got your attention?" Neah said, decided to take a seat on the bed. "He, like this idiot, is actually fighting the Noah within him."

"Nii-san is? Really?"

"From what I could tell yes." Being I answered correctly about the cross on your brother's neck, tell me, have I earned at least a little of your trust?"

"I don't trust you. Not entirely. Just enough to know you can help me find my brother."

"That's enough for me. We'll start from th—gah!"

"What's wrong?"

"Damn brat...waking up...I guess this is goodbye for now, Miss Hanazawa. Yu Kanda, Johnny." Neah fell upon the sheets, skin changing back to Allen's normal skin. The stigma on his forehead disappeared, as quickly as they had come.

"Hey, short stack."

"Damn it, BaKanda, I'm not a short stack. I'm Allen!" I couldn't help but chuckle a little, "It's only two syllables, say it with me: Al-len. Not that hard!"

"Short. Stack." Kanda said with a smirk. "It's also two syllables, beansprout."

"Girly-face!"

"Midget."

"She-man samurai!"

"Moyashi."

I'm probably going to reget doing this but... "Hey, short stack! Yu-nii-san! Shut up!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Well at least they agree on something. Both hate their respective names.

"Hey, I got you two to stop fighting, didn't I?" I said with a smug expression."

"By the way, why am I at the end of the bed? Wasn't I...oh god..."

"The 14th took you over, short stack." Kanda said bluntly. "But he didn't attack us."

"Yume, Johnny, is what he says true?"

"Yeah." We said at once. Allen didn't seem convinced, so I quickly came up with an answer for him, "He wanted to negotiate with us. He said...he said he saw my brother, Allen."

"You're brother?" Allen asked confused. That's right, he didn't know about the brother I thought had died.

"A few months ago, I was given a mission. It was from Central, and it was an order to find and observe Daisuke Hanazawa." I reached into a pocket, and showed him the mission report. Allen, Johnny and even Kanda looked it over. "He said that he's fighting the Noah within him. Just like you're fighting too."

"But it doesn't make sense." Allen said, handing me back the parchment. "According to this, it claims he called himself the new Noah of Wrath."

"It could be what happened to you, Allen." Johnny explained, thinking it through. "I think the Noah's Memory of wrath takes the opportunity when the host is weak to make an appearance. It makes sense as to why he'd call himself that."

"That may be true," I sighed. "But still...Allen, Neah told me...that your Innocence can kill the Noah, but leave the human half in tact...is that true?"

"That's true. I used it on Tyki, however, it didn't kill the Noah in him. Instead it seemed to awaken him fully. Lavi, Lenalee, Chaoji...and even myself were nearly killed. Though I don't want to admit it, I also have my master to thank too."

"So, if you didn't destroy Tyki's Noah, then...how do you really know if it works or not, Allen?" I asked, curious by this newly found information.

"It destroys things that are created of dark matter...I'm guess you've seen the scars on my chest, right? It happened in Paris, I didn't think my Sword of Exorcism would affect me, but I was wrong. The fact is, it showed me that there's a Noah within me. Even though my own intentions are to save humans and Akuma alike...my Innocence sees it as a threat."

"I see."

"Che. Brat, go to your room. We need to rest up for tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" Allen asked suddenly confused.

"We have a hell of a long list of people to find, short stack."

"When you say long list...Kanda-nii-san, are you saying we're also going to start the search for our missing comrades?"

"If that bastard's words are true, we need the help we can get, kid." Kanda explained. "Rest up, and we'll leave first thing tomorrow. No excuses, understood?"

"By the way, Yume, why do you keep calling BaKanda, 'Kanda-nii-san'?"

"Uh...I...I'm not really sure...I guess it's because I see him as an older brother, and being from the same country helps too, I suppose..."

"Can he call you Yu-Yu?" Allen asked with a smirk.

"NO WAY!" I shouted. "Nii-san, and I mean the one who was actually born as such, was ever allowed to call me that."

"W-well, you should go get some sleep, Yume. It's late, there aren't any Akuma in the area, so let's rest up and start the journey tomorrow."

"Right." I said, before leaving for my room.

* * *

><p><strong>The Fourteenth Noah makes his appearance! Let me tell you, trying to figure out his character was rather difficult...I mean I only know so much about him...as does everyone else who reads the manga andor watches the anime...so I can only go by assumption from here on out...**

**Anyway! Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please, let me know by clicking that poor, review button! It needs the attention!~ R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15: Into the Lion's Den

_Chapter 15: Into the Lion's Den_

It was around three in the morning when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I rolled opposite of where I felt it, wanting more sleep. "Yume, wake up." I heard a voice whisper.

"Nng, *Wazuka go-bu ijō, Nii-san..." I muttered, not wanting to wake up.

"Yume," The voice said again. I soon realized it wasn't Dai's voice speaking to me...it was much softer, and much younger... "We have to leave now, c'mon."

"Ar...en?" I asked, looking through sleepy eyes. I got up, rubbing the said sleepiness out of them, to see Allen leaning over me. "What time is it? It's not even dawn yet." I hated waking up so early. Even while training with Kanda, I hated it.

"It's still pretty early, Kanda and Johnny are waiting for us outside. Can you get ready in five minutes?" Something clicked in my rather sleepy state.

"How'd you get in here? My door is locked." I said, now on high alert. "Only I have a key to this room." With that said, I activated Ketsueki, faster than I'd seen Kanda drawing Mugen. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice raised enough so the boys next door could hear me. The midnight-black blade gleamed in the dim lighting, as I aimed it for the intruder's throat.

"So, you saw through this?" I didn't recognize the voice. It was feminine. "A shame. Either way, you're going to have to come with me."

"I don't think so." I said, barely dodging the enemy's attack. "Are you Akuma, or Noah?" I demanded, attacking where I could, and dodging when I was about to get hit by the whip-like appendages.

"I am Lulu Bell. My master, the Earl, wishes for an audience with you, Yume Hanazawa."

"Lulu...you're the Noah who attacked the headquarters a few months back, aren't you?"

"They told you about that? Needless to say my master was very angered."

"Well, I'm sorry to say, but I highly doubt you're going to make him full of glee." I said, readying my stance. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Ehh? But I thought you'd coming willingly!~" A younger voice sounds from behind me. I quickly turn behind me to see...a doll? No, that wasn't right...it was standing all on its own.

"You're a Noah too." I stated, this wasn't good. Two Noah, and only one of me. I knew I couldn't defeat two, let alone one. "What do you want with me?"

"Lord Millenie just wants an audience with you." The Doll Noah stated. "Don't worry about Allen and the others, by the way. They won't wake up while your gone. I promise."

"Just to speak with me? Nothing else?"

"We swear on our graves." I was still skeptical. I deactivated my Innocence, but kept my guard high.

"Try anything funny, and you'll be sorry." A door appeared out of my floor, taking a deep breath, I walked through the doors, all but excited to be meeting the one who caused my life to be hell.

/*/*|*\*\

"Not that you'll answer, but Lulu Bell, tell me something...I heard your ability is to shape shift...is turning into a cat one of them?" The fact I was still in my night clothing was kind of embarrassing. I should've at least pulled my jacket on, but no, I didn't. I might've well just been in my underwear. My arm was exposed, and it felt weird...I was too used to hiding those markings on my arm.

"Yes." She suddenly answered me. "Changing into a cat is my preferred state."

"When you change into a cat...do you have a small stigma on your forehead?"

"Of course. What other cat would actually have a pattern like that on their faces?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's a small world." I simply stated. Who'd of thought that I knew four different Noah? Lulu Bell, Neah Walker, Tyki Mikk, and the doll I found out was Road Kamelot. My life was totally screwed up, isn't it?

"We're here." Road said.

/*/*|*\*\

"Ah, you must be Yume Hanazawa. Good morning." My heart rate was beating faster and faster, until it got to the point I thought it would burst from my chest. "Please, let me formally introduce myself, I am the Earl of Millennium."

"I know who you are." I said. "But it is my first time getting the..._pleasure_ of meeting you in the flesh." The Earl was a large man...(for the lack of a better word)...he wore a large white coat, and a top hat with black roses and thorns decorating the hat from top to bottom. He was more scary than the Noah I've met in the past.

"Such a sweet young girl. I assume they explained to you why you are here?"

"They only told me that you wished an audience with me. I must apologize for having to meet you in my nightwear." Why was I being polite with him?

"Such a sweet little girl you are, Miss Hanazawa. Much like your mother was." Wait...the Earl knew my mother? "Did you know your mother's side of the family was supportive over our own family from the beginning? Even in their dying moments, they always proved loyal. I hear that your own brother, Daisuke, wasn't it? Actually inherited Noah's Wrath recently. We would very much like to welcome him with open arms."

"You're not getting my brother." I said, sounding more brave than what I actually felt. "Nii-san...Nii-san has nothing to do with the likes of you!"

"You sound so sure of yourself."

"Nii-san is one of the strongest willed people I know!" I shouted, defending the family I love. "So long as I'm alive, he'll have someone he can fight for. So long as he's alive, I can do what's in my power to protect him!" There was more...I realized, "Not just him, but everyone I love!" Yes. This was my true resolve. "Ketsueki...it's time to get out of here. ACTIVATE!" I wanted to save the Akuma's souls, even though I knew I couldn't see them. I wanted to protect everyone I love, including my Noah-turned brother. My friends, my family...and the one I'd given my young heart to. Especially him...with these thoughts in mind, the familiar feel of my blood started dripping from the gems, but this time it wasn't a sword that was created. My blood was changing into something new...something to help me get back.

"What's going on?" I heard Road's voice call out, she had some point fallen off my shoulder. My hair came undone, but I didn't care at the moment. It flowed in the non-existent breeze that my Innocence was otherwise creating.

"Ketsueki, level two release!" I exclaimed, "*Tenshi no inori!" Some of the markings on my arm changed so that they could connect the now hardening (though still flexible) wings clinging to my back. The rest changed into a bow, fitting perfectly in my hand. My wings started to flex and I pushed off from the ground. My Innocence was already explaining how it worked. Tenshi no inori was both an offensive and defensive ability that Ketsueki was capable of. The wings would let me fly like a hawk, and also protect me from oncoming attacks. The bow was equipped with Innocence that would let me shoot off as many arrows as I saw fit. But even in this form, I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat them.

"Angel wings...made of blood...how appropriate." The Earl sneered. I didn't take the time to think about what the enemy meant by that. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here. I needed to meet up with Allen and the others, and pretty much get out of here.

"I thank you for letting me visit. But I have people who need me." with the power of my newly formed wings, I found myself flying away from those who wished to harm me. I felt as though my Innocence knew where I had to be...I was instructed to pull out an arrow, and shoot towards the sky. I did so, and a glimmer of light opened up for me. I flew through it, but not before I noticed two someones who looked very familiar...but I couldn't figure it out because the next thing I knew...

/*/*|*\*\

I was in the dark, laying on my bed.

"Yume? YUME!" I heard Allen calling from the door. I got up, and unlocked the door, and sure enough there was a frantic Allen Walker standing in my door.

"Allen? What's up?" He looked me over, and sighed. "Is something wrong?"

"No...I'm sorry to wake you up."

"Allen." I sighed, reaching up to stroke his hair. "I'm fine. Shaken up from a nightmare, but I'm fine nonetheless." What I wasn't counting on Allen suddenly holding me close in a warm embrace.

"I know..." He whispered into my hair. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled...a little like those mirtarashi dangos he loves...but there was also something there that seemed more natural...but it all still Allen all the same. "You're not much younger than I am though...I worry about you..." I wiggled a little so that I could look him in the eye.

"Nothing to be afraid of, Allen. Especially because I have good news I think you'll like." I said, "But we need Johnny, Kanda, and Link here."

"Link?"

"Oh, he's alive." I said, realizing Allen hadn't been reunited with this shadow. Where was that CROW anyway? Either way, we had our work cut out for us. "I met him while you were still unconscious."

/*/*|*\*\

I sat beside Allen as we traveled by train to finally find a few people on our 'people we have to find' list. Kanda and Johnny were on the benches on the other side. Timcanpy and Fuyuyuki were both lounging on the bench in front of me and Allen. As for that strange fluff-ball Golem, it was resting on my lap, almost like a cat.

Link had rejoined us when we got to the station, although I had told Allen about him being alive, he was still shocked to see the Inspector.

Peaceful as this moment was, it was only temporary. We all knew that. We all knew that in which ever future that would come our way, things just might get rougher and rougher.

P_e_o_p_l_e w_e m_u_s_t _f_i_n_d._

P**l**a**c**e**s** w**e** w**i**l**l** g**o...**

_**A**_**n****_d..._j_u_s_t _h_o_w_ m_u_c_h_ t_i_m_e_ w_e_ h_a_d _b_e_f_o_r_e _i_t _w_a_s_ a_l_l _t_o_o_ l_a_t_e.**

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>What does it mean?<strong>

***Wazuka go-bu ijo, Nii-san... = Just five more minutes, big brother.**

***Tenshi no inori = Angel's Prayer**

* * *

><p><strong>Me: This is the last chapter—<strong>

**Yume: EH? Hanashi-san! Why would you end it so soon?**

**Me: But it's not the end!~**

**Allen: What's going on?**

**Kanda: Yeah, what the hell is going on, Hanashi?**

**Me: (O_o) Kanda...you didn't call me 'idiot author'! I'm so happy!~ -glomps Kanda-**

**Kanda: GET OFF ME!**

**Lavi: This is the last chapter, but it's not over? Is there a sequel on the horizon?**

**Yume: A sequel? Hanashi-san, is that true?**

**Me: Yup!**

**Lavi: This should be interesting. You're even giving two-dots more time in this story!**

**Link: Bookman Jr., I advice you to stop calling me by that nickname!**

**Lavi: :P**

**Kanda: Che. Why the hell is he even here?**

**Lenalee: Don't know...Hanashi, maybe you should give them a preview of what's to come?**

**Me: Not a bad idea, Lena! So, for those who are interested, here's a preview for the first chapter of the next installment!**

* * *

><p>~~The following preview as been selected at random, to fit the curiosity of the installment after this. Viewer discretion, <em><strong>isn't<strong>_ advised.~~

_ Save our friends, find my brother, and expose the Cardinal for the true being that he is. These should've been rather easy...but when you're an Exorcist, a former member of the Science Division, a past CROW, an easily angered samurai, and lest I forget, a Noah's host, then...it's really not as easy as you would think._

_ It started in the beginning when Neah often tried to take over Allen's body, and Allen would fight back, attempting to keep Neah sealed in his subconscious. When I told him about the chance he may know where my brother could possibly be, Allen wasn't so sure. Neah knew how much Allen cared for me. How close we were...we've unofficially been together for almost a month. (But that will be a story for another time!) The truth is, Allen didn't really trust the Noah for a reason. He didn't want me to get killed and have Neah fully awaken._

_ But, with everything that's been going on, we both know that we'll need all the allies we can get. Which, by the way, was why I was currently trying to convince him to let us at least listen to what Neah has to tell us...I'm sure I can eventually get him to listen to reason, besides we can't save Lavi and Bookman without his help, and we can't find my brother without his help either._

_ Kanda-nii-san said it before, but I apparently have my work cut out for me. No matters. With friends by my side, I'm sure things can turn out for the better...after they get worse, most likely..._

* * *

><p><strong>Everyone except me: . . .<strong>

**Me: Guys? Yume? Allen? Hello? (O.o) Well, as I've already said, this is the end of Secret Exorcist! I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much as I've enjoyed writing it!~ I want to thank everyone who reviewed, added this story to their Favorites, and Story Alerts! If you want to catch the sequel of Secret Exorcist, please put me on your Author Alert list! It may take a while before I start posting chapters...**

**Kanda: Is it because of those other fan fictions you're f***ing working on?**

**Allen: BaKanda, shut up, and be nice to her.**

**Yume: Hey, will I ever find out why Link is still alive? No one told me yet...**

**Link: Maybe next time, Hanazawa.**

**Yume: No 'Miss'?**

**Lavi: R&R this final chapter, guys!**

**Me: This is the first time ever to which I decided on creating a sequel to a fanfic guys. Be honored! And for the final time, everyone, let's do the disclaimer together, alright?**

**Lenalee: Because Hanashi isn't Katsura Hoshino,**

**Allen: She doesn't own us,**

**Lavi: That means any of us from D. Gray-man!**

**Yume: She can only take credit where it counts,**

**Me: And that would be Yume Hanazawa, Fuyuyuki, and the minor OC's that appeared in this fanfic!**

**Kanda: . . .**

**Me: Oi, BaKanda...**

**Kanda: Fine. She also takes credit for this damn story you were wasting your times on.**

**Link: And Miss Hanashi also wishes that you check in regularly to see if the sequel to 'Secret Exorcist' comes up or not.**

**Me: Like I said, it'll be a while...**


End file.
